Fall Camping...and it's awesomeness...

Two weekends ago, we took the boys camping. 

Fallamping...is that a word?  CAN it be? 

Fall camping is so different than regular summery/beachy camping.  You get serious use out of your fire pit, and snuggle in for the evenings.  Thankfully, we have our fancy-pants camper that has a FURNACE.  This was our first FAMILY fall camping trip, but I can see MANY, MANY more to come...


Fireside Snuggles with my Favorite Little Camper


Regular, beachy camping is always fun- the boys wander the campground looking for kids to bring back to our site, and they spend their time just BEING KIDS.  But, fall camp is different.  There were only a handful of people in the park, and kids (besides ours) were non-existent.  So, this trip was all about FAMILY time.  We spent time playing with the scores of hot wheels cars that are a permanent camping accessory (it's amazing, but they truly occupy boys of ALL AGES), drinking hot cocoa together, and sitting snuggled at the fire. 

No King Of The Hill - it's King of the Sticks!!



Andrew (the middle) was SO excited to climb trees!!  I don't think he stopped grinning for 24 hours!


The boys took advantage of the "trails" that began at our site, and still went on a mission to BE BOYS, but because it gets darker sooner, they didn't wander as much, unless we went with them.  They took the chance explore, but on a smaller scale.

One evening, we took a "late night walk," at about 815pm...whoooo!  :o)  We made mugs of cocoa, and ventured out with lanterns and flashlights to see some Halloween decorations, and just talk.  It amazes me everytime we do something like this - to see the PEOPLE they are becoming.  They're kids, and they learn things all the time, but once they've learned the walking/talking/communicating stuff, I think sometimes we forget to really stop and see who they are being molded into, and this was a chance for me to just walk, and listen.

It was a pretty amazing moment for this (step) Mom / Aunt.  :o)

Oh yeah...I should probably mention...my nephew Jacob is also on the list of permanent accessories for camping.  :o)  He's the big kid in all these pictures.