Our Camping Vacation - Part 5

The evening that we made our decision to leave camp the following morning, the sky gave us a double rainbow. I took that as a sign that we were making the right decision. It was going to be 100* the next day and I couldn't face another day of sweating, cranky kids, and no appetite due to the heat.

This is Jon's great castle/dam/fort that he built while we were there. I wish I had gotten an earlier picture of it before it was worn away. It was quite impressive and lined with pine cones as decoration.

I had to take another picture of the rainbows. They were so amazing. It made the thunderstorm we'd had earlier in the evening worth it.

That evening it was cool enough to have one last campfire. Jon built up a huge fire. He doesn't believe in doing things in a small way.

Evan had a hard time falling asleep that night so I brought him out for a few minutes to sit with me by the fire.

Jon took this really neat picture of the fire. He and I sat up until 11:00 talking. As some of you know, that's REALLY late for me. It was a great way to end our camping trip.

Jon decided to sleep under the stars on our final night so he pulled his air mattress out of the tent and slept by the fire. This is how I found him the next morning. I opted to stay in the tent that protected me from the creepy crawlies of the night.

As we were packing up, Charlotte did a final wash of dishes. She was so cute. She took her job very seriously and scrubbed those pans really well.

I can tell you that she's never had this much fun loading the dishwasher.

Jon enjoyed bacon and eggs cooked over the fire for one last time this year.

So that was our camping trip this year. It was a tough one due to the weather and we're still dreaming of the day when we can camp in a camper.... but it was still a wonderful 10 days. The kids had wonderful adventures, we swam, and we spent time with both sides of the family. .. a great way to spend 10 days no matter how sweaty you are!

FISHER PRICE PEEK A & GO HIPPO 1200P SOLD

Product Description



From the Manufacturer


It starts as a push-along walker, then converts to a ride-on-both with great gobbling fun! The hippo's head bobs up and down as he gobbles up blocks. Early walkers can push it along to steady first steps and encourage movement. Then shift the handle down


Product Description


Your baby will have hours of fun gobbling up Fisher-Price Peek-a-Blocks with this adorable hippo walker that converts to a ride-on as baby grows. Pull the yellow seat up to form a push bar, and then press it back down to let the riding fun begin. Push the hippo friend along, and he'll "gobble" the blocks from the floor. There are five included Peek-a-Blocks that will keep little hands and minds occupied with bright discoveries inside the blocks.

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HERES LEAPFROG TOY VERY EDUCATIONAL RETAIL STORES SM SELLING P1399 BRANDNEW SALE SELLING 30%off 999p 2 pcs.available
 For babies on the go, this soft learning pal is truly a multi-sensory learning experience with tons of activities for baby to touch, hear and see! With 4 modes of play, this pal musically introduces counting and colors, while offering a variety of different classical tunes. The Baby Counting Pal also offers an assortment of tactile activities that include: a bird squeaker, butterfly rattle, crinkly bees, flower rings and a ladybug bell for the very young explorers. Product includes attachment straps for parents to attach this toy just about anywhere, as well as include a carry handle for on-the-go fun! The Baby Counting Pal is the perfect pal for learning on the go! How does it work? * 4 modes introduces counting, colors and a variety of classical melodies. * 5 different tactile activities. * Attachment straps allow parent to attach this toy just about anywhere! * Soft carry handle for on-the-go fun!

PANELS - up for grabs!

This beautiful Dinosaur panel has some 14 pictures of colorful dinosaurs - I can already imagine what I would do with this one!

Price : 1 panel @ RM35

Status : SOLD OUT!

OMG!! Is this gorgeous or what?!!

Price : RM35

Status : SOLD OUT!

This one is simply TO-DIE-FOR!!!

Price : RM35

Status : SOLD OUT!

Our Camping Vacation - Part 4

When it's in the upper 90's and it's too hot to nap in the tent, drag the beds outside under the trees. It was still hot but each kiddo had a cool washcloth for their tummy's or heads to help keep them cool.

I had to cover Evan's pack n play with a blanket because the sun kept peeking through the trees.

A post-nap snuggle in the hammock.

It rained the night the Nana and Grandpa got to camp and the power went out. Denise (seen blurry in the picture above) and Chris got creative and formed a baking pan out of a aluminum oven liner and warmed mom's chicken pot pie over the campfire. They saved the day by giving us all a warm dinner on a rainy night. Mark and Chris suspended a tarp over the campfire to keep the rain off.

We huddled in the dark in our camp chairs and ate our dinners. Camping is all about adventure!

Campfires are so pretty at night.

The kids loved riding their bikes in the mornings while it was still cool... well, cooler at least.

We saw a Great Egret while we were swimming one day. There are plenty of Blue Herons at the lake but this is the first Great Egret that I had seen. It was so pretty and delicate looking.

Nana loves to float in the lake for hours at a time. The kids were happy to join her.

Oscar isn't a big fan of camping so he preferred to spend time on Charlotte's bed snuggled up with her teddy bear. (though his favorite spot was in Nana's and Grandpa's RV where it was nice and cool!)

Nana's cockatiel, Phineas, (Phinny) came along for the camping trip. He is so gentle and smart. He sings the theme song to The Andy Griffith Show, he beeps like the microwave, he whistles for the dogs to come in, and he gives kisses.

Evan thought it was so funny to have a bird on his shoulder.

Charlotte watched a quilting video of Nana's during nap time while Jon read a book.

Stay tuned tomorrow for the 5th and final installment of our Camp Vacation pictures. I'll understand if you run screaming from the computer now or develop an eye twitch every time you see "Camping" as part of a blog title now.