Camping

I love camping. I grew up going camping with my family and then with my friends. We camped during college and Mark and I went a few times when we first got married, but then the kids came.

My sisters were going camping over Memorial Day weekend and we (I against Mark's advice) decided we would join them. Mark was against the idea because he didn't think the kids would sleep in the tent.
The kids had so much fun--I mean what is better then cousins, being permanently dirty and the great outdoors.

Addy and Cooper

Their first campfire s'mores
cousin Carson

Marcus did give us a little trouble at night and decided to not sleep. He spent half the night awake and the other half curled up in my arms. I think I even told Mark 'he was right' at one point during the sleepless hours. Marcus and I got up bright and early and took a walk to the lake with Flossie, Cooper and Carson. (Addy didn't wake up until we came back around 8am)

waiting for breakfast

Katie and Carson
There were plenty of woods around our campsite so all of the kids had lots of fun exploring and playing hide-n-seek.

After breakfast Sat morning we went for a REALLY long hike. Marcus and Addy walked most of the way.

I was taking the picture of Mark and Katie above and turned just in time to capture this little pose. Is this not one of the cutest things you have ever seen?

After the hike and lunch we headed to the lake. There was an area roped off for swimming that was covered in sand and had a pretty good size beach. We only had to fish Addy out of the water once, and she had held her breath the whole time so she was fine. We had to rescue Marcus another time when he ran out above his head.

It started raining right after we left the lake so we had to cook dinner over our stove instead of the fire.

Mark and I were both so tired from the night before, we decided not to try another night so we stayed until bedtime and then drove home.

Katie and Talia

The group
All in all, I would say it was a successful camping trip, sleepless night and all. I might not try it again with Marcus in the next year, but Katie and Addy can sleep in a tent with me any time.

Life

We are officially moved into the new house. All the boxes are unpacked. The backyard has toys in it and I have stopped going the wrong way after I drop Katie off at preschool. I think we love it. The backyard is fenced and it backs up to the woods. There are trails in the woods that the kids love exploring. And, there are a lot of little kids in the neighborhood, so there is always someone to play with (when they are sick of each other).

The last few times we have been outside we have found frogs...my girls love them, but if it gets to close to Marcus he squeals.
The weather has been really great, as well. It's not quiet hot enough to go swimming, but warm enough to get wet.

All in all, I think the stress of moving was worth it.

Here are some more pictures of our cuteness . . .

Marcus and Addy were so cute sitting on the pillow sac together while they watched Little Einsteins; but when I tried to take a picture they both got so annoyed, and tried to look around me.

Oh, and the Secret Service stopped by again last week to see if I knew anything 'new'. They were nice to me this time, but I saw the 2nd agent looking to see if anyone was going to come running around the corner as I opened the front door.

My next 30 years...

(Mark bought me a whole cheese cake from The Cheesecake Factory for Mother's Day and my birthday. I ate a piece every night in between Mother's Day and my b-day.
I only shared on the two special days!)

It's weird to turn 30.
It makes me think of Tim McGraw.
What am I going to do with the next part of my life? When I was a teenager, if you had asked me to tell you my plans for the next 10 years of my life, I could have told you all about college and travel, a mission and maybe even marriage--I might even have thrown in a child. Point is, I had it all planned out-I knew what was going to happen and when. And it happened.

But the last 5 years has been a roller coaster of unknowns and the unplanned-Katie joined us a little earlier then I thought I wanted, and while Addy was planned, Marcus wasn't supposed to be here for another few months. Pittsburgh wasn't my idea, and Charlotte was 5 years from now. Mark was supposed to be at his firm by now, and I should be putting paint on the walls of my own home. Instead, I am wishing I could at least hang up my cool pictures from China--but my husband doesn't want to put nails in the wall of a 6 month rental.

I have too many kids way too close together, I have moved 5 times since Mark and I got married 5 1/2 years ago. And, I am STILL working this job that I thought would just put me through college and grad school.

But, I wouldn't change any of it. (Maybe not even the job??? Maybe the job???).

So what have I learned for my next 30 years?
1. I still love Tim McGraw
and
2. STOP PLANNING,
it is much more fun this way
(not that I ever had anything planned for after I turned 30, who ever thought I would get this old?).