Best Camping Trip!

This Labor Day weekend we packed up Michael's parents trailer and headed out for our annual camping trip with friends at American Heritage.

This year Jack wanted to ride down in the truck with Daddy and Owen. That means it was just me and Ella in the van and it was marvelously quiet!!

After getting the trailer set up and the site all ready our first place of business was going to the petting zoo that's on the campground.

Since Ella had and has been more cranky and in an effort to not have her fall as much I decided to wear her. I still love wearing her and she doesn't mind it either.

The campground has two goats...Bonnie and Clyde. Bonnie was all over eating the weeds and such that we picked for her...Clyde on the other hand was a super picky eater!

Ella was quite curious about that animals!

Every year we go camping with our friend Fred & Jen and their 5 boys. There oldest son brought along 2 friends...teenage boys at that. They also invited another family along so that was 18 people in total....lots of mouths to feed. Jen and I ended up splitting the responsibility for the meals and then the other family filled in the gaps. It worked out great and no one went hungry that's for sure!

We stayed in a different campsite than we did last year and it was awesome in size and privacy. The only downside...to us moms...was the dirt! There wasn't any grass it was all dirt! Of course the kids LOVED it! They were filthy messes the entire trip!

After lunch it was time to take the kiddos over to the pool and use their new toys that I bought them. Owen was pretty excited about his ring!

Jack was excited about his ring in theory!

Ella being a lazy girl...lounging around! Click here to check out what she looked like last year sitting in this same chair.

Super swimmer!

Jack was nervous in the beginning, but Daddy finally got him to go in when he brought out his cool froggy goggles.

On Sunday Michael needed to run to the hardware store to find a part for the trailer, Fred & Jen took their kids to this maze and John took the rest of the kids fishing so it was just me and the kids at the campsite. Ella was sleeping, but she woke up early so I decided to take the kids out on an adventure.

Owen got to use his new shark helmet from Ga-Ga & Pa.

Then I borrowed Fred & Jen's bike trailer and took the kids for a ride to the camp store for a treat...hence the reason Ella's face looks all funny, she's chewing her treat! On the way back to the campground I decided to sing a song for our adventure...if you watch The Cat And The Hat Knows A Lot About That you'll know the song....Here we go, go, go, go on an adventure, the thingamagiger is up and away. Here we go, go, go, go we're riding bikes with Mommy today!

Early in the evening on Sunday while Michael was making dinner I took the kids on the hayride. Ella was NOT having it in the beginning. She wanted off, but I just held her and she quieted down. Of course everyone was staring at her and I had to explain why my baby looked so bad.

Can you tell Owen was super happy that the wagon is towed by a tractor!!

After dinner we took the kids swimming again...this time I went in so that's why there aren't pictures. Ella had lots of fun in her floating turtle and it felt great to cool off. Afterwards it was a bit cold so it was time to warm the kids up in the bath. I love that they all fit in the teeny tiny bathtub in the trailer!

On Monday we got up had breakfast and then packed up. We did have some rough spots such as bee stings, interrupted sleep and broken trailer parts. Overall this was our best camping trip ever...surrounded with fun, food, family and friends!