Camping. With babies.

Oh boy. This weekend deserves a whole lot of vaca time recovery...but it was fun. (?)
Well, we survived!

Weekend begins with a 5 hour drive to Northeast WA. Threw the Cascades to Tonasket's Spectacle Lake.We left as soon as Jude got off work, and then a few hours...about 5:30pm. Getting us there well after bed times.

I was feeling like there was no way I could prepare for camping! It's usually really warm up there, and my parents (who got there a few days before us, and are still there now) said it was hot. So that made me think it would be easier...and I packed for mostly warm weather...
(mistake #1)

Where are we going?!

The drive there was nice. Can't go wrong with Mountain ranges...the view was spectacular and surrounding us. And the kids did great in the car. (Phew!) Here are some pit stop picts:

 (sorry about the fuzzy picture. Jude didn't really want to take pictures, he wanted to get back on the road. How wise he is.)

And when I say late, I mean almost midnight. Super crazy late for us. (we're like that.) We got out, the kids got wired. (thanks grandma and gramdpa...) And we did not sleep much that night. Luckly, our tent was set up. We just had to unload and make our sleeping arrangements.

Typically, the birds would have gotten us to rise-and-shine at O'crack of dawn, but Silas beat them to it. And it was not hot out, but surprisingly cold. And wet. And I'll ruin the rest of the story now by saying it was freezing and rainy the whole time!! But then I'll back up again and add that we did have some great moments...

like when Grey finally did fall asleep...
And then she woke up looking as tired as us.

but still happy...

Hanging with Uncle Matt and Aunt Kirstie!!

...and Jude and I are laughing as I upload this picture because Grey's hand is totally in a box of cookies! And no one noticed. And she succeeds again... 

On Saturday we saw that Silas FINALLY has his two front bottom teeth coming in!! (bittersweet.) We made a big deal about it, gave high fives all around, and told him that he's awesome.

Piggy back rides from Aunt Kirstie (woot woot!)

 Great on-the-lake view...

 Successful nap in a sunlit tent, in the middle of the day (YES!)

Good old monkeying around...

(She really does not like me to take her picture...hee hee. Or else that look was because my head was in a weird place. I'll never know what this toddler mind is thinking.)

And finally going down the slide by herself, again. (she used to go down the slide...after the winter and break from a park, she got scared to do it again. Too many tumbles?) Whatever it was or is, I'm glad to have a cautious child. I'll take it!

And lastly, time with my favorite person...

...Although it was usually because I was calling him to come to 

my aid and help me with a problematic child!

I don't know what the outcome of our trip was. Still deciding. We got out and risked the weather (weather won, or whatever. It was not on our side! SO cold!!) We slept in tents with a baby and toddler. Went without the telly or phones (pretty much.) Swam in the pool and dodged the lake (great job GREY!) Saw our kids get silly and insane from tiredness...wait, we can do that anytime. Still, it's that added pressure of eyes watching your children loosing it. (Grandma & Grandpa, The Twins and both of their wives families!) The excitement of all the people alone was enough to overwhelm the kiddlets. Phew. It was a long and draining day and a half! But...we'll probably do it again. 

In 2 years.

Bye-bye Mountains!