Let's go camping!!!!!!!!

We took our first camping trip with the kids! We also brought along some of our good friends, who happen to also be the parents to Abagael's best friend ever!

Let there be shelter! We bought an amazing tent a few years ago on clearence and we haven't ever used it! So, there is no time like the present! Turns out this thing is HUGE and perfect in every way. The package claims that it sleeps 6-7, I bet we could have gotten 15 people in this thing. There were 4 adults and 3 children with TONS of room to spare! And of course I didnt take a picture of it completed, Doh!

Downside, it rained (and hard too!) that night around midnight, so it got really cold, and of course we didn't have enough blankets (uh, but for some reason we had a working T.V. and VCR!) so Phillip and I ended up sleeping in the car to keep warm.




There was a demand for hotdogs as soon as we arrived!






He who walks on water. Phillip was convinced that he had to walk on the water, not in the water.


I'm just Cool Abby, being Cool Abby!



Look momma a pool!



Steady young grasshopper....


And now it's time for F-U-N!!!!
(my poor milkey children! I swear in real life, they do have some color!)







Abagael and her bestfriend ever, Lisa!









Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....smores!!!!!!!!!!


(her marshmellow is flamin'!)

Finger lickin' good!

Look! It's Pepa!

Kevin's father and step-mother came to visit! The kids (and we adults too!!!) had wonderful time! I wish we could visit with them more often, but we live about 400 miles apart. However, they do come to visit us a few times a year :D

Every girl must be photographed by a HUGE truck! Posin' with Pepa's truck :)

Note that Phillip is climbing Abagael like a tree :)


Boy Wonder, doing his boy wonder thing.


Everyone MUST wear Pepa's glasses....and of course he knows not the word no :)



Three generations of identicals...

Momma always said there'd be days like this.

As much as I love what I have, and I truely do love it. I have days (and sometimes months!) where I wonder why I can't keep up. What little thing am I missing that can make my whole life easier, more productive, more organized, more.....normal.

I get up far too early, I pack lunch, I do dishes (not too often 'cause the hubby usually does them), I cook, I clean, I wipe faces and butts, I brush teeth, I go to bed exausted and then get up even more exausted!

I have no time for myself, no time for "fun", no time for anything, or anyone it seems. There are no hour long bubble baths with candles in our home, there are no quiet romantic dinners. There is rarely enough time to take a deep breath, let alone time to study, make a budget or plan meals!

I cant tell you the last time I fixed my hair in something other than a pony tail, I havent worn makeup in heavens only knows how long. Theres no need to, theres no one to impress.

But when I wake up in the morning and see these faces


I remember what it is all about. Love, trust, cuddles, sticky jelly, reading, learning, laughing, teaching, kisses! I love kisses!

The love that I get (and give!) is awesome! It gives me the warm fuzzies! I makes me want to get up before the sun (even if I do want to cut the cord on my alarm!) so that I can make the nutella sandwich that Abagael so loving requested the night before. I love to have Phillip say momma in his most sleepy voice and then squeel when he actually sees me come into their room to retreive him.

How can you tire of seeing this everyday?

We's got's water!!!!!

And rain water at that! Kevin subjected himself to the downpour to collect some liquid yum-ness!

Some bonds can never be broken...

And our family has some of the tightest bonds you will ever find!

Rhino and Vivian are two peas in a "special" pod :)



Cant you just feel the love?
(every girl must dance on daddys feet. And heart! This one does both on a regular basis!)






And you cant leave out Mr. Magic Feet himself....

We've got worms!!!!!!

We have been wanting to start a worm compost bin at home to help with some of our kitchen waste and so that we can use the castings (aka worm poop!) for our veggies and flowers.

I found some on line for $24.95 with FREE shipping!!!

It took almost a week, but they arrived!

I purchased the tote at Target for $5.99

Our "space"

I thought I would introduce you to our patio. Im not certain of the square footage, but I will check it out :)



Our "garden"




The view behind our apartment :) I love to be out back, it seems so country and "away". I can assure you though, you need only look out the front of my apartment to confirm your location as anything but country.



My clothes lines (there are a total of 4) hard at work!

Diapers


Cloth toilet paper



Dinner napkins



Fully loaded!
(there is a small empty section that I reserved for undies, but thought I would spare you the viewing!)