Roughin' It

A couple weeks ago we decided that we were brave enough to take the kids camping... tent, fire pit, sleeping bags and all! So, this past Saturday we met our camping crew at Wal-mart to do some food shopping before heading out to the great outdoors.

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After we loaded 2 shopping carts full of goodies, we had our 3 SUVs completely PACKED and headed off on our little road trip to Lake Murray. We found the perfect campsite near the lake, water spout, and bathrooms.

Once we got there, we opened our hatchbacks and things came tumbling out... literally.

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First step was to unload and organize.

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The little men of the group were such great helpers.

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Next was time to pitch the tents. The kids were all so cute helping put things together.

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Waldenville Tent... Check.

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Talley Tent... Check.

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Meek Tent... Check.

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Mason was so eager to get inside the tent. The moment that it was set up, he ran to play inside.

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We got our air mattresses all blown up and everything situated inside. Then we found Mason in his bed, shirt stripped off, sunglasses on, trying it out.

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Then we went to check out the water that was the perfect distance away.

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The wives worked in the kitchen...

and unloaded all the groceries...

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While the Daddies put together the kid's fishing poles.

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Who knew there were so many uses that could come from a fishing pole!

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Morgan sat in the shade and tried to stay cool.

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Once everything was in its place, it was time to play! Sunscreen was caked all over, beach toys in hand and floaties were strapped on! The kids had a blast playing together!

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Morgan took a little nap in her pack-n-play...

Got to swim with Momma...

And played with her toys in the shade.

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After an afternoon of water and sun, we headed back up to our campsite to get some shade and rest time.

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The kids were all so funny, looking like they had had such a hard day.

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The goofy guys all got matching 'Summer 2011' shirts for their camping attire.

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They were pretty cute in them though. ;)

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And then they had the bright idea to use their pocket knives to cut the sleeves off... I think they were just looking for an excuse to use their knives though!

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They did look MUCH more rough and tough after that!

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... or maybe just more silly. :)

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Then it was time for the guys to buck up and get to work. They split wood, made a fire, and started the grill.

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We had a HUGE feast! The guys did a great job with dinner.

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After dinner all the kids went from tent to tent playing in each one. They would say, "Lets go to my house now!" Then they would all run to the next one.

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They all piled into Morgan's pack-n-play and played in their for a while.

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Next was time for dessert... S'mores, of course!

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They were perfectly charred and warm, and melt in your mouth oh-so-good!

...or melt down your lip!

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Then once it got dark, everyone put on their head lights.

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Then the kids went into their tents and watched a little show before heading off to snoozy town.

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Luckily by the time we went to sleep, it wasn't warm at all outside. It was actually a tad chilly, which made for a pretty good nights sleep. My kids crashed pretty well and slept all night long.

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We didn't even get up earlier than our normal times like I had anticipated. Christian and Mason slept in, while Morgan and I got up.

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The lake was calm and it was so peaceful out.

It's really a beautiful lake with the blue water.

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The suits were all dry and ready for another day of fun.

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All the kids finally woke up and we had some breakfast before jetting off to the water.

Baby food... Mmmm!

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Then it was back to the water they went!

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Sis got to float around with Daddy.

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She kicked her legs the entire time and absolutely LOVED it!

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Then all the boys skipped rocks while the ladies soaked up some rays.

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Family pic before packing up camp to head out.

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On our way out, we stopped to get some ice cream and feed the fish.

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We all bought some fish food and threw it to the fish and ducks.

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Look how HUGE these Carps were! Geerosss!!! I'm a girl that likes to go fishing, but that many all together gives me the heebie jeebies!!

But the kids all had a good time feeding them as our last little adventure before we left.

I must admit that it was quite a bit of work taking a 6 month old, with having to mix cereal and bottles, and making sure she got her naps. But it was still so much fun. We were with a great group of friends and made a lot of fun memories. And we're definitely looking forward to our next camping trip!