Our First Camping Trip!!

Well, I took a risk...and tried our first camping adventure.  We were with our church on the annual retreat, and some people could camp out, some in dorms and some in the lodge they had on a great campsite about an hour from STL.  

All in all, it was a good weekend - tiring (I think it's a tough age to be trouncing all over an expansive campground), but a good experience.

Curled up in her princess sleeping bag (someone gave that to us - thank goodness!), but smiling in the morning!

This kiddo wasn't cold all night (whew!  I was!!), so she hopped right out of her sleeping bag, with warm toes, and Mommy threw a hat on her head and let her have some 'treats' in the morning - fruit snacks, which I'd never let her have at 6:30am...unless we're camping. :)

One of our team challenges (stacking 3 chapsticks on top of each other using chopsticks - try it!).  I enjoyed getting to know some new faces and names and our group had fun.

Just liked the thoughtful look with the backlit sun on her head.  Note - those pants that are just barely too short?  3T and stretchy.  She's already heading in to 4T!

Campfire time!

Marshmallow in the mouth...

Still trying to figure out how to chew it!

Don't you like the look in her eyes?

I think she likes it...?

Mommy & Kiddo!

Just love this gleeful smile!

This is probably marshmallow #7...and we were laughing with our friend and new-buddy-during-this-trip, Belinda.

Last morning of our weekend trip in the dining hall (which was really pretty) during breakfast - and still smiling!!

Burning off some energy before we get in the car for the ride home...cool playground on the campsite!

Cool wooden train, eh?

EJ took this picture...I'm centered! Not bad for a little one!

Silly sequence of us with the camera timer....inside the train!

OK, yes,...staged, but still precious!

Now THERE'S the true personality, eh?!

Man, she's got a good pouty face....

OK, I'm melty...

So, after a rough night on the first night of no sleep for me, and really kinda being stuck to the tent, we were offered one of the extra rooms in the dorms, and I decided for once not to be stubborn just to say 'we camped,' and opted for SLEEP.  So, we packed up the tent and everything and relocated to the complete opposite corner, way up a hill, of the campsite - a good 15-20 min walk (without a small child in tow).  Belinda helped me with everything and I think E and I were both grateful to have some quiet for naptime and then for bedtime.  In fact, I put E to bed after the campfire at around 9:35, turned the lights off, sat with my phone in the bed with my headlamp on, and immediately fell asleep while I was waiting for something to load on my phone!  I was exhausted!  :)  We did get a good amount of [cumulative] sleep!

EJ got to sleep on the top bunk and was ELATED!!  She thought she was such a big girl...and I slept very lightly, but we did sleep!