Our Camping Trip at Bear Creek State Park

Here are a few pictures of our wonderful, family reconnection with no distractions and just pure quality time camping trip at Bear Creek State Park just us 4 (until next year that it). We always love camping with friends, but usually like to take at least 1 trip each year just us. We used to go to this campground before kids and it's the first time we've taken them here. It has a fresh water lake to swim in which is always the best and reminds us of back home. Alayna is quite the little camper girl. She fit right into the environment. I didn't get a picture of it, but one time she had the baseball hat on backwards, dirty face and sweaty little curls hanging out. It was quite the site. Her only issue was falling asleep in the tent which resulted in 20 minutes of screaming each night until she wore herself out until we could lay with her and she would be still and then fall asleep with one of us. But once she was out, she was out and both of them slept until 7:00-8:00 each day which was great! Of course there was fishing and hiking too. Alayna kept right up with out little hike, although we didn't push it and go very far, but loved the exploring none the less. Our favorite things were sitting around the campfire at night and relaxing by the lake during the day. It was so peaceful with all of the surroundings. It was a little on the warm side but nothing unbearable and are looking forward to going in the fall once the crisp cool weather sets in.

They had a fun little play set for the kids to play on

Impatiently waiting to go fishing
Just me and my dad (I love that book by Mercer Mayer)

"Momma, I'm gonna sling you!"
Our little boat ride in the old fashioned "johnny boat" We did get an electric motor though. Definitely no water skiing on the back of that thing.

Preparing to go
Alayna kept saying "want dis boat mommy, k"
Seeing if anything is biting
Playing with the fire is the best

One tired boy
One tired baby
Out on the peaceful lake
Trying to be quiet and wait for the fish....no bites though.
Here I come mommy

Turtle time
Bathing Beauty....she loved just hanging by the shore. It's less stressful for her than the beach....no waves to worry about.
Getting daddy time
Momma cookin breakfast

It's a a........

This is always my favorite view...the precious little profile. It just blows me away everytime.

Butt and leg shot.....I'm now thinking a peanut could be hiding somewhere.

This to me is the creepy view. Bradley says "oh momma, it looks like a skeleton"

.......well they couldn't be 100% sure because it is a bit early, but she was a tiny bit more sure it's a girl at this point than a boy. As I come into do some edits and look at the picture over and over I'm thinking to myself....hmmm I'm just not thinking one way or the other and truly I really don't care. I've got one of each. We had our first ultra sound yesterday and yes it's official "I am pregnant" HA! I say that with much humor and sarcasm because of course I knew I was pregnant, but it always seems more real once you see that precious little life inside you..... not to mention the slightest bit of movement that I have felt over the past week. It started the same way with the other 2. At first you're not sure and then you realize that's exactly what it is. For me it always starts out feeling like a little tapping feeling or little bitty poking sensation. This is where some of the fun part begins with pregnancy as the really yucky part has finally phased out as of 2 weeks ago Sunday when the nausia and drained feeling completely went away officially. Yes, I still get tired, but that's just flat part of motherhood right!? Praise the Lord we are now on the pregnant high emotionally, physically and mentally. You forget what it feels like to feel like yourself. Feeling icky becomes your normal so to speak and when you go back to your old self it's like.....ooooooh this is what it feels like to be me. HA!!

We are totally excited about this new little addition that will soon be a part of our family. We'll see how I transition into being a mommy of 3....as I think to myself....A GREAT BIG YIKES!!!! I'm sure I'll be knocking on the door or phoning all my other mommy friends of 3 asking "how in the world do you do it?" They will probably say..... "You just do it" HA!

Ok, so now I'm back finishing the up a few days later and I get hit with a dose of IBS which rears it's ugly head now and again and usually decides stays around for awhile.....although today is definitely better than yesterday. Just when I start to feel really good this comes along so to that I say a great big WHATEVER!!!!! GO AWAY!!!! It's still not as bad as the pregnancy symptoms to for that I am thankful. That's my theme lately.....just being thankful. There's always someone dealing with something alot more tragic than this and this too shall pass:)

Bugs, worms are my little girls best friend

My sweet, precious, um should I say only semi feminie little girl is obsessed with bugs, worms, squishy things which her term for that is minga minga which we still haven't quite figured that out yet. But she is just like some other little friend we know, but I'll try not to mention any names....hmmmm (Alexander) HA! I finally bought her her own squishy lizard the other day that she loves. Auntie Lindsay helped her name him Jake. She found this wretched... gross...big ugly beetle at the park one day and of course her daddy likes to torment me and get her to try and fling it on me. Yes, it's real and yes, she is holding it and yes, she likes it. The thing was so big and strong I think it would win in an arm wrestle. She followed that thing forever. She also loves those big fat night crawlers. When Craig took Bradley fishing they had some left over night crawlers and of course daddy gets a big kick out of watching her hold one and squish it and she loved every minute of it. We both get a kick out of how she says BUG BUG so forcefully. She sure is something, but I gotta love her uniqueness.

My sister and nieces

Here's a few pictures from when Lyn was here.....

Auntie and her nieces

Alayna and Taylee taking a spin
Aleigha and Alayna
Uncle Craig and "Tater Tot" which he loves to call her.

A night at Cracker Barrel
Alayna loves loves these rockers at Cracker Barrel and screams when it's time to go in and eat.
Another favorite park...The Deep Creek Locks. There are alot of awesome picture spots here, but to many to post.
"Girl Time" As Alayna always says
Daddy and Alayna "hwing, daddy hwing"

I love this boy!!!
Aleigha, Bradley & Taylee
Don't kill me lyn....you look awesome!!
Taylee loves having her picture taken
The whole goofy gang

Leave it to Auntie Lindsay to want a picture like this one and thinks it's hysterical.
This rock wall always freaks me out!
Bradley being such a big brother.
Bradley and Auntie
Backyard pool fun

Even a Target trip with 4 kids is bound to be fun. Lyn got a kick of of yelling for me all through Target when we got separated. I purposely left her with the kids then I hear. "HEIDI, WHERE ARE YOU!!!" CRAZY girl!!!
Pizza at Fun Forest
Mommy look.....a tree.
These 2 are more like brother and sister than cousins. They could almost be twins although Taylee and Alayna have almost identical personalites in alot of ways.
I must say this was one of the hightlights so far for me this summer. Lyn came to visit with the girls and stayed for 10 days. We all survived a crazy chaotic week of fun and relaxation (if there is such a thing). I still wasn't feeling 100% during most of the time, but we still managed to do alot of big and little things. From a day at Ocean Breeze, Water Country, a few days at parks and alots of backyard pool time and hanging out catching up. Lyn and I have a tendency to be a little reckless when we are together. We literally forget sometimes that we are mothers and can act very off the wall. My niece had to reel us in a few times and would have to tell us we were acting inappropriately:) Then you get mom on the phone scolding us for not being good examples to our children:) I say this all with a smile as I think of how silly we really can be. We just make up for lost time I think....we went from fighting like cats and dogs as teenagers to me leaving and getting married when my sisters were only 12 and 14.(So sad to look back on that now) We've become so much closer in our adult life.... especially over the past few years. The kids did great together for being in close quarters nonstop for 10 days. Of course they fought, of course they whined, what normal kids don't, but of course there was lot more laughter and fun to make up for it. There's nothing like the feeling of family time where you can 100% be who you are and just do nothing or a lot of little somethings. Bradley's birthday was the 3rd, Aleigha's birthday was the 7th and Taylee's was the 15th so of course we had yet another birthday celebration for Taylee where she decided to make her own cake and the kids all decorated their own creations of a cake and cupcakes. What a sticky, frosting, sprinkle mess they did make, but enjoyed every minute. The more frosting Alayna could sneak in her mouth the happier she was. It's always so hard to capture all of the little moments in a journel writing, but memories are always in our mind and the pictures to remind of some of them. We were so sad to see them go. Thanks for an incredible time Lyn, Taylee and Aleigha!!!

We just let em go!!

Yeah, I got my baby alive doll!

Here's the birthday girl......Look what I made all by myself!

Just lovin life with no boundaries