Camping by the Lake

This weekend we traveled to Clear Lake State Park. The main goal of this trip was to get used to pulling the camper down the interstate. We also enjoyed camping with my grandparents, dad and stepmom. :)

As for the trip to the campground:

First, let me say that it was windy. Really windy. A head wind.

Second, we quickly realized we didn't have the right hitch set-up. 

Third, our gas mileage was between 6 and 7 mpg. Ouch. 

We arrived at the campground safely, and spent some time over the weekend getting the hitch set up right. The trip home was MUCH better. 

The kids and grandma had a great time making crafts out of things they found in nature. 

The outside kitchen is sooooo handy!

The kids met my parent's new puppy, "Uncle Baxter". The love was mutual! 

30 days! (Not that we're counting)

Truth: Planning a 2 month trip takes a lot of time....and leaves very little time for blogging about it.

What we have been up to since November/December:

• November: Bought a 2013 30ft RV trailer (ahh!)
• December: Researched and laid out a calendar of where we will be and when.
• Early January - May: Worked on reserving campsites
• March - April: Prepared the camper for the trip
• April: Went on our first camping trip with the camper (trial run close to home) 
• May: Leaving for our second camping trip two hours away this weekend (getting used to pulling the camper a longer distance)

Other things that we needed (or will need) to address due to the length of our trip...This is not sexy stuff folks. It is just a very practical list of things to remember.

• Set up bills on auto recurring payments (not all of them were set up this way...I know, we live in the dark ages.) 
• Find a sitter for my son's little pet corn snake (Maisey cannot come along)
• Stop mail for 30 days....then stop again for another 30 days. Find someone to pick up the mail after the first 30 days. 
• Wrap up projects at work. Yikes!
• Hire someone to mow the lawn (and pray for a drought so they don't have to mow much),
• Fill prescriptions (we only have one among the 5 of us, but still...)
• Make sure the kids have enough underwear for 2 weeks. Hey, I'm on vacation, so I make no promises on the frequency of "feeling" like doing laundry. We will be lucky if the mood strikes and a laundry facility is available at the same time. Welcome to camping life!
• Eat all of the food in the house. OY!  (Okay, not all, but the perishables at least.)
• Buy a new swimsuit (mom)....Double OY! And can I point out the conflict with the item above?? Good grief, I am plotting against myself.
• Clean the house. Who wants to come home to a mess after being gone for two months?
• As we are walking out the door: Turn off water; re-program the thermostat
• And about one hundred other little details that I may or may not remember until we get halfway across Nebraska. Doh! 

It's getting close and we are getting very excited!!

Rainy Wet Camping - First time using the camper

We spent the past weekend at a campground close to home...and it rained... and rained...and rained. Oh and it was cold and windy. Woot! 

This was our first time camping in the camper we bought in November. All in all it went well! And by "went well" I mean that we all came out alive after spending the entire weekend mostly in the camper or swished up tightly under the awning together. To be honest, we actually had quite a bit of fun! 

The boys played a lot of Legos. Grace read and spent time coloring. Notice the space heater. Did I mention that it was really cold? Frost warnings. Brr. 

We made "camping doughnuts". 

These kids are experts, but this is a process better performed outside. We wiped up powdered sugar for quite awhile.

Let's just say that we made way to many!!

This weekend was a good learning experience. We tried things out we might not have if it hadn't been raining. I learned how to put out the awning by myself (though small ears maybe should not be around until I really get the hang of it). We learned that the bathroom door is squeaky and REALLY loud at night when someone uses it. And finally, we learned that spending a weekend in close quarters isn't too bad. Hopefully we feel the same way about 2 months!!