Last month, we went camping with nine kids and ten adults. I’m not sure why I worry about the kids so much prior to the trip. Will they be bored? Will they get hungry? Will they fight? All of those concerns vanish the second the tent pops up. Next year, I’ll worry less about them and worry more about Mark and I. We always fight until the tent pops up. Camp setup can be stressful, y’all. But when the last stake has been hammer, the logs are mounted in the pit, and a can of beer is cracked, we’re golden. Here’s a good chunk of our second day. (psst… Photographing the second day meant I was able to skip the Camp Set-up Fight.)
Breakfast was a homemade marshmallow s’more. There’s bacon in it, so it counts.
A little art before the other kids arrive.
My niece takes a break for a quick portrait.
We went to the beach for some sun and sand (a.k.a gravel or kitty litter)
Grey made friends with my youngest niece.
There was a strict NO ADULTS allowed in the kid tent.
Dinah brought homemade graham crackers. And yes, they were delicious.
A fellow 10 on 10-er enjoying a s’more.
Camping is easy with kids. You just gotta keep an eye on them. And a hand when the fire looks so inviting.
If you haven’t been camping yet , you’ve still got time. Find a park and some friends. Fill up your car and hit the road. What’s a few bug bites? So what if the birds wake you up at 6 a.m. Camp. You won’t regret it.
Wonder how Michel of Ampersand Grey spent her 10 on 10 day? Go check it out!
Michel - when did your boys become little men? they look so grown up!!!! I’m going to go make myself a smore’s breakfast… sans bacon. yum!August 10, 2012 – 11:40 am
Jessica Bennett Lewis - it will be weeks before I can even begin to think about camping here. the temps are just starting to cool off at night. but, I am really looking forward to popping up the tent (my secret to avoid the fighting is for me to do most of the tent work)! I’m going to have to try that marshmallow recipe – and the bacon on the s’more? yes, please!August 10, 2012 – 2:56 pm
Joelynne Johnson - That quilt is AWESOME. With a stripey baby on it? SOFA KING AWESOME! Jealous you get to squish Baby Grey. I want to eat his face (in the least creepy way possible).August 10, 2012 – 3:32 pm
Joelynne Johnson - Did she post the marshmallow recipe!?
August 10, 2012 – 3:33 pm
Jessica Bennett Lewis - maybe not, if i have to i’ll arm wrestle her for it.August 10, 2012 – 3:36 pm
Carmen Farrell - My boys got so excited to see your boys. From across the room they yelled, “It’s Cooper and Becket!” and came running. Dorks.
I’m jealous of your group camping trip. We’ve tried it but it hasn’t gone well. We have to find the right mix of chill people.August 10, 2012 – 3:36 pm
Jill Dyer Greenwood - I cant’ get over how much ALL of the kiddos have grown… when the hell did that happen? Still wish I could get Dave to go camping, but that will never happen.August 10, 2012 – 3:58 pm
Emily Robinson - Man, that black and white of your niece…. stopped me dead in my tracks. You are the queen of that shot. Just phenom. The laughing squishy face of Grey in that dippy at the end… Like I’m right there. You never fail to impress me, woman.August 10, 2012 – 4:22 pm
Erika Ray Photography - Joelynne Johnson I might have linked to it. Here it is again: http://www.howsweeteats.com/2012/07/bourbon-marshmallow-smores-with-bacon/August 10, 2012 – 4:48 pm
Erika Ray Photography - Get in line. We could take turns squishing him.August 10, 2012 – 4:49 pm
Erika Ray Photography - You’re so kind. I need to spend some time in the ring. But I can’t stop looking at birth photos!August 10, 2012 – 4:49 pm
Mike Coffey - Kind of like when I try to get your sister-in-law to to RV’ing with meAugust 10, 2012 – 5:22 pm
Suzanne Gipson - damn that’s a fine group of people haha! kidding. seriously that was an awesome day. Wine buzz on the beach chasing kids around. And that one of your niece-love! And the last two
.August 10, 2012 – 7:41 pm
Bethany Petrik - I’m going to go ahead and invite myself to your big yearly camp out next year. Jason doesn’t do camping, so I’ll take the girls and fly out to camp with you and Suzanne. I’m pretty sure it will be epic.
Also, things that I would be worried about would not be hunger or fighting. It would be more like, ” Will the girls get poison ivy and have a reaction and die? Will they fall off a cliff and die? Will they get eaten by a bear and die?” I guess, “Will we get lost, and starve and die?” could be added.August 10, 2012 – 7:58 pm
Bethany Petrik - I just invited myself since my hubs doesn’t do camping either. We can both go and share a tent and make a really awesome, “no boys allowed!” sign.
August 10, 2012 – 8:01 pm
Jessica Deane - jeez. I really need to go camping! & totally had to laugh at the fighting comment… b/c my hubby and I always fight while putting the Christmas tree up! lolAugust 10, 2012 – 8:10 pm
Laura Slusser Yurs - OMG! ALL of it! YES PLEASE! the stripey pj’s made me a little teary eyed…Michael had the same ones at that age. The BW portrait, Suzanne, bacon on your smore! And I’d love to overhear what Grey and your niece are talking about….August 10, 2012 – 11:23 pm
Juliet Coghlan - oh wow. You really do make camping look fun.
August 11, 2012 – 4:41 am
Erika Dyer Ray - Come along! What is it about boys who don’t camp? The poison ivy thing always weighs heavy on my mind. Only because I’m pretty sure I’d die from scratching. I’m a scratcher.August 11, 2012 – 11:40 am
Erika Dyer Ray - Dorks. It was completely the right mix of people. We lucked out.
August 11, 2012 – 11:41 am
Erika Dyer Ray - When @[1486866603:2048:Carol Klein Ray] brought the kids home, I swear Coop had 3 more inches on him. Give Dave the boot and come with us.August 11, 2012 – 11:42 am
Erika Dyer Ray - Me too! Both those kids crack me up with their cuteness.August 11, 2012 – 11:43 am
Erika Dyer Ray - Ha! The Christmas tree is our second enemy. Finally I learned to just butt out and drink some wine. Don’t ask my husband. He’d say, “She doesn’t even help and drinks wine.” Pick my battles…August 11, 2012 – 11:44 am
Erika Dyer Ray - Aren’t those families drop-dead gorgeous?
August 11, 2012 – 11:44 am
Catherine Giroux - Yay for camping! I really love your style Erika!August 11, 2012 – 11:25 pm