First Camping Experience!

So we finally decided that after years of Mike begging and the winter finally easing that it was time for our first family camping experience. Mike is very much into family activities....he insists on game nights, bike rides, eating at the table, and now that we have a tent and the children are old enough, camping! And while I love that he cares about these things....sometimes I wish he was a little less insistent. :) I am not as big on this whole camping thing but I decided to make an effort!

But I was still kind of dreading it!

I will say this, camping is a lot of work! You not only have to pack your shelter, but also your food, towels, and entertainment! The car was packed! 

We drove to O'Bannon Woods State Park in Indiana because I thought going north would be cooler since it was getting warmer in May! Of course I booked it a few weeks earlier when the weather was in the 80's

Setting up our tent site! 

 So the weekend weather was high of 60 low of 40 so we brought a lot of blankets but I was just not prepared for how cold it was actually going to be! We had a fire for a while, ate dinner, made s'mores, but when we went to bed it got really cold. The kids had sleeping bags and fell asleep pretty quick but I was so cold I couldn't sleep! I tried to suck it up and deal but about 1:30 am Owen woke up coughing and crying that he was cold. So we ditched the tent and found a hotel about 20 mins away! I have never appreciated a roof over my head and heating so much as I did that evening!

The next morning, we went back to the tent, got ready for the day and headed out to Squire Boone Caverns!

Triple Threat! 

Inside the cave

They had a great little souvenir shop! Everything was really inexpensive! Like these pop guns that were one dollar!  

Savannah was more interested in the candy selection 

Owen got a little pirate play set for 93 cents! He loved his little eye patch

I saw this and couldn't resist! Love all that yellow!!! 

Back at our tent site we were kind of sad that we weren't going to be able to stay the night again like we had planned but it just wasn't realistic to even try to make it again. The temps were supposed to even get lower that night. So we basically had to pack it all back up and head home!

Girls exploring together! 

We strategically placed our tent site near the restrooms and playground so the kids spent some time playing with other kids! 

The drive home was quiet and peaceful because we were all exhausted!

Rock candy! 

Once we got home, Mike informed me that everything had to be washed, cleaned, unpacked, etc and I almost screamed!!! Seven loads of laundry, airing out the tent and then refolding it, cleaning all the pots, and utensils and coolers about did me in! I don't know why anyone would want to camp! But it was fun at times so I think we will try it again maybe in July....we'll see!


Oh, and to add insult to injury, we found a tick on Savannah a couple days later.....eeewwww!!! :)