Pseudo Campers

We are enjoying spending time with L and K this week and learned that we have something in common: we all like psedo-camping.  I'm totally making that word up (I think) but I define it to mean: doing only the very funnest camping things and omitting all mosquitoes, humidity, nasty campground bathrooms and leaky tents, among other un-fun camping things.  Yesterday turned out to be a lovely afternoon, so the 6.5 of us went pesudo-camping.

First, we drove to Nerstrand Big Woods state park and went for a "hike."  It's just a path through the woods to a little waterfall (where we took our family photos for the Christmas card), but it's certainly a hike for a pregnant lady and two toddlers.  For the other 3 able bodied adults, it was just a stroll.  It was total BOY HEAVEN!  They could have spent the entire afternoon "rock climbing" up the side of the waterfall.  Don't worry, the men were spotting, L was photographing, and I was catching my breath on a bench, imagining it was 80 degrees and I was lounging with an ice cold beverage whilst my family frolicked in the falls. 

My favorite pic, N cresting the ridge

There is no denying that mug!

Look at that tongue!  "Should I do it again? YES!"

Long ways up!

He did it! 

This one's just to show you I still have a bit of a waist at 35 weeks this time!

Here's where we went home and ate chili, a total camping dish, which even the boys ate, so home run for my meal planning!  Of course, M and N think the kidney beans are "baby hot dogs," so we go with it...had to make sure K understood I do NOT cook chili with hot dogs.  Although that would be kind of like chili dogs, so I guess I could...

Moving into the backyard, we scrounged up a cord of wood, a bag of mallows, an old Hershey bar and the last of the graham crackers to round out our evening campfire with s'mores. 

Aunt L teaches N how to toast his mallow

Oops!  She burnt M's mallow!  Gotta start over!

Our manly men tending the fire (while L roasts a new mallow)

Our first campfire...awe, isn't that sweet?

Our first campfire of the season - no skeeters!  Hooray!

Funny mommy shot of me assembling s'mores for everyone and M lounging.

We all went inside when it got cold, I enjoyed a hot shower in my marvelous bathroom, (not to mention got a pedi from Aunt L!) and then we all passed out in our bug-free warm beds.  You can't beat that!  And it cost us $5.  Psuedo camping is the way to go.

Staycation Adventures

What a week!  Please excuse my absence, readers - I've been on wonderful adventures with my in-laws during our "staycation."  Everyone made their way to our place to spend some family time together - by car, by plane, and by semi-truck - no joke!  It was so much fun to be a tourist in our own area - we got to do some activities that we haven't done yet in all of our seven years here in the Twin Cities.  You know what the best part of vacationing at home is?  You guessed it- sleeping in your own bed! 

Here are a few shots of Sunday and Monday, our first Staycation days spent in our town and then a few hours at the Mall of America, because what Minnesota vacation can be had without that?, after picking Mom up at the airport.

Grandma and M play the bongos at the Best Buy MOA

They didn't heed the "Please Don't Feed"

Dwinka wadda?

Aunt L and N play at the Legos store at the MOA

We kind of took over the joint

My in-laws amazed our server with their Bubba Gump trivia knowledge!

M was amazed only with the ping pong paddle

Okay, and Forrest's shoes!

Tuesday was a special day because we drove up to Stillwater and took a paddleboat luncheon cruise down the St. Croix River.  Not only was the weather perfect - and it has been all week, praise the Lord! - but the food was good and the boys were well-behaved, something I was a teensy bit nervous about.  What nut takes all of her in-laws and twin toddlers on a humongous 18th-century, two-hour paddleboat ride? Me.

Cool boy N, Grandpa, and M

N was quite snuggly and silly with my sunglasses!

All Aboard!

exploring the boat before we lift anchor

Don't kiss me, Aunt sheeshee!

Boo hoo! N spent a bit of time on the deck howling about something - like he can't jump overboard.

Upstairs, downstairs!  The boys can talk Grandpa into anything!

I said the weather was grand, didn't I?  So that evening we surprised Grandpa with his favorite cake, Pineapple Upside Down cake, which I'd never before made but everyone ate it so I guess it was ok, for his birthday (next week) and all settled down for a bonfire with s'mores.

There were grey clouds overhead but it looked like the weather was to the north of us and was going to miss us.  Hubs had a nice little fire going when we brought the fellas, freshly bathed and covered in long sleeves and socks to protect them from the evening skeeters, down the fire.  They were so tickled and thought that being outside in their pj's was the funniest thing!  We were outside for maybe 15 mintues, M was aways off "mowing" the lawn when

BOOM!

The loudest crack of thunder any of us have ever heard rattled the trees and our ears!  We all dropped low to the ground as bright lightning flashed all around us for a few seconds.  Then we grabbed our kids and our cameras and rushed inside to watch the downpour!  We were a bit rattled and had to watch an episode of "Imagination Movers" to take our minds off the fact that we had been nearly killed by lightning!