I Had Vowed to NOT Go

I had told Paul I would not be camping at all this year and that he was more than welcome to take the older kids while I stayed home with a little baby. He did this a few times, but the last time he went he was planning on taking 4 kids. I looked at my Matthew and knew he would LOVE to go, so I decided to buck up and go with them. I am still surprised that I did it and even more surprised (and blessed) that it did not kill my back like it did last year.

 This is our abandoned-in-the-woods baby picture. We were getting the tent set up.

 And she loved watching the trees sway in the breeze while she was being abandoned.

 Matthew loved the lake (and walked right into it multiple times) and the ducks (there were TONS of them there).

 This was the view from our tent.

 Sid could sit and fish all day and be perfectly content. He gets this from his dad!

 Katelyn did awesome in the tent. It was a bit hot and she likes to cuddle with her blanket, but since she needed a nap we went with the rag and she was good.

 Dusk at the lake.

 Proof that Katelyn and I were there (and even smiling), too!

 I think Paul was glad I could stay at camp with the little ones who were (not really) settling down for the night so he could go out fishing with Savannah and Sid at dusk.

 This was the lake in the morning. That water was cold, but it was warmer than the air and steaming.

 I was glad I thought to bring a warm hat for Katelyn (and she even matches with her blanket like I planned it or something). She slept like a champion and woke up at about 6 to eat (when Paul snuck out of the tent to go fishing), which was about 2 hours earlier than her usual, but went back to sleep and did pretty awesome!!

 These guys were digging. I never did understand exactly why, but they had some very good reason.

 This was where we happened to stop on the side of the road on the way up so I could feed Katelyn and the kids wanted to go back to climb these huge rocks again, so we pulled off in the same spot and had lunch.

 William claimed his own rock for lunch.

Matthew claimed his own rock and all of the food.

This was a great, short trip and in the end I was glad I was able to go, that Katelyn did so awesome, that I did not have any physical limitations during or after, and that Matthew could walk into the lake and get good and dirty while summer was still here!!