Backyard Campout

The kids always ask "When can we go camping?"

Here's the problem with that.  1) It really takes a lot of time and effort to pull off a successful camping trip. (I usually don't mind that part too much but this weekend we really didn't have the time.)  2) Annie doesn't like bugs to the point that she's paralyzed with fear when they are around.  3) Annie refuses to use an outhouse much less "go" in the woods.  4) Let's face it....Jeff and I have bodies that don't recover as well as they used to after sleeping in a tent.

Here's the solution...Backyard Camping.  We decided to take a backyard camping trip to the home of our good friends Danny & Shelly Stirland and their kids Abby & Sam.  Although we did have to pack up a few things like the tent, sleeping bags, pj's, etc., it wasn't near the production it could have been had we done "real" camping.

Our friends have a big back yard for the kids to run around in, a trampoline for using up all the energy the kids have, a fire pit for roasting hot dogs and marshmallows, and best of all.....an air conditioned house with running water and flushing toilet just 50 feet away.  The kids had a blast....actually the adults did as well....and it was relatively easy to pull off.  That was the kind of camping I wouldn't mind doing again.

 Somehow the dads got left with roasting the hot dogs.

 Now on to roasting marshmallows...or marsh yellows as Jack says.

 I think Jeff looks very serious about roasting his marshmallow.

Henry loading up another marshmallow.

 Yummy s'more!!!

 "What s'more?"

 Annie & Shelly can't stop laughing at Abby trying to eat her s'more.

 She's a bit messy!

 Ok....REAL MESSY!!!

 After dark, the kids got a little crazy on the trampoline.

 "Check out our strong muscles!"

 We even had fireworks since it was around the 4th of July.

 The big kids in the tent ready for bed......NOT!!!

Ever try getting 4 kids to bed that are all jacked up on s'mores?  It doesn't work too well.

The 4 big kids and Shelly slept in the tent.  Danny slept in the house because he just doesn't sleep well unless he's in his bed.  For some reason the kids didn't want me to be IN the tent but wanted me to still be outside with them.  I slept on a cot right outside the tent which I thought was great because I could look at the stars all night long and feel the cool air on my face.  Jack ended up not wanting to sleep in the tent so Jeff ended up with him inside the house although Jeff told me Jack ended up awake at 2am pounding on the back door trying to get outside.  That kid will track me down no matter where I sleep!!!