Camping!

Whoever said camping with a toddler is difficult....was right.  By the end of our trip, we had one very bug-bitten, skinned-up, crabby-pants little girl.  But it was totally worth it.  :)  And I do believe she loved it...or most of it.

First of all, I want to say thank you to the very kind nameless lady who drove way out of her way to show us a "local detour" around a road that was closed.  She led us down windy gravel roads all the way back to the main highway then turned around and went back the way we'd come.  Such a nice lady...did I mention that?



We started out trip with a day at a waterpark.  Very fun!  Grandma even got Kyla to go to sleep on the lazy river.  :)  No pictures, though, unfortunately.

The first night (on my birthday, no less!), we grilled steaks and sweet corn over the fire.  Yum!

Here's an assortment of other pictures from our trip...they tell the stories much better than words!

 


















I had my first experience on a tandem bike.  For some reason, I have no pictures of it, but I will get some from someone else, I'm sure.  It was...interesting.  Probably a one-time deal for me.  Poor Bryan in the front carried the brunt the load, I'm pretty sure!

I didn't take any pictures (lucky for you!) of the afternoon when Kyla was supposed to be taking a nap and I looked in the tent to find her diaperless...this isn't such a rare occasion really.  She seems to have a passion for losing her britches before going to sleep.  This time, however, she had done a good deal of business in her diaper before taking it off and throwing it out.  Grandmas do such nice things....like cleaning poop off blankets.

Kyla did such a good job around the campfire.  She would carefully maneuver her way around the fire all the while pointing at it and saying "hot!".  So smart...but then again, I'm not surprised.  I mean...look at her mom!

We discovered a new game on vacation called Wizards.  LOVE that game!  We played inside the big tent at night to avoid themisquitoes.  Oh, and the pouring rain.

Our campsite was a popular hangout at night.  For raccoons.  They weren't too ornery though and generally cleaned up after themselves before leaving.  Nice fellows.

On Monday, Caleb and Brandon had already left.  Bryan had a class for work in the Cities, so Dad, Mom, Hannah, Kyla, and I got to explore downtown Minneapolis and hit up IKEA before we headed home.

Then of course, we had the inevitable ride home.  Kyla did alright in her carseat for the most part.  Some times were better than others, but I captured one of the better moments.

Thank you, Dad and Mom, for all the vacations you've taken us on over the years.  Every one has been special, and we're very blessed to have those memories!!