CaMpInG...My Kids New Favorite Thing

With a lot of weddings coming up for our family, our summer vacations looked a little different then normal...

To start off our summer, the Mavs and Os went camping at Garner State Park.   When Cheryl told us in late Spring that camping was the plan for this year's vacation, the big "kids" were SUPER excited...the little Os had no idea what that truly meant.  We (the Mav kids) grew up camping.  We once took a two week trip to Florida where we camped in tents all the way there and back, but that is a WHOLE different story!!!  After a week of camping along the Frio Rio in the pop-up camper, all three littles were quickly hooked!!  I get asked at least once a week if we can take the camper and go camping.  

All loaded up and headed to the Hill Country.

The drive to the Hill Country is such a cool drive...I love driving through all the little towns, and seeing their town squares!  Here we are in the Heart of Texas (Brady, TX).

Another plus to driving that direction...80 mph!

This is the highway about 45 minutes away from the park. 

 It was BEAUTIFUL...perfect example of God's handy work!!

GARNER STATE PARK!!!

When we got there, we quickly got the camper set up (remember the big "kids" were excited!!)  We had to do some work on my dad's camper because the hitch on the fifth wheel had broken on the way up and was stuck to the camper...again, another whole story!  After getting camp set, we got out our folding chairs and the fun began!  We had a whole week full of pure joy and adventures.  There is something so special about being out in the middle of no-where, with no cell service, computers, TVs, etc. You get to experience true family time, and the amazing world that God created!   The only way this trip could have been more perfect, is if the big boys (Cory and Cam) and Amanda were with us for the whole week, and if the Coby Mav family could have joined us.  I know after how much fun we had, camping will once again play a part in our summer plans!

Popi and my big "little" girl, Braelynn...

She always look so big to me when she sits with her tiny, little legs crossed.

The river was right across from our camper.  Whenever the sun was out (which did not end up being much), we spent a bunch of time at this spot.  It was BEAUTIFUL!

Randi and Crayton cooking hot dogs

The kids playing a game on the iPad, waiting for dinner to be finished.

The first day we were there, Camden made a treasure map!  The whole family was a good sport, and went on an adventure looking for the hidden treasure.

Walking past the golden flowers...down the winding road...headed towards the water.

The whole bunch on the hunt...notice the huge storm clouds!!!

Much to Camden's surprise, there was REALLY a hidden treasure!  Thank you Popi!  

(please excuse her homeless look; we were camping after all!)

Ollie got ahold of Bailee's flip flop, so in true camper fashion, she fixed it with some electrical tape!

Hanging out... trying to stay cool.

Enjoying a family nap during one of the many rain storms...

It is so peaceful to lay in a camper and listen to the rain hit the windows.

Gram and Braelynn catching "thunder bugs"...aka Lightening Bugs!! 

 I love those little hands trying to hold the super cool bug!

Peaking into her little hands to see it light up!  

My heart melted every time she yelled out, "Look, a THUNDER BUG!"

Jay working his magic on the fire, and getting ready to cook dinner!

Another nap, during ANOTHER rain storm!

Watching the rain.

Playing a family game of cards...waiting for the rain to STOP!  

If you know our family well, you know that we are all super competitive...so when playing cards with this bunch, there is never a dull moment!!!

My little card helper!

One day, on the way back from the showers, Jay and Camden found a pair of panties.  Assuming they were mine (really...is my butt that big?!?!), they put them up for all the world to see.  The gross thing about it, THEY WEREN'T MINE!! ;o/

At the end of the week, we decided to extend our stay, because we REALLY wanted Cam, Cory and Amanda to be able to spend the weekend with us!  Garner was of course booked up, so we had to move to an RV park closer to town.  It was not near as neat, but we still had a TON of fun!!  While at the RV park, we had a family snowball fight.  Yep...a snowball fight in June!!!  A friend gave me this super fun, super amazing idea for field day...as soon as I saw my student's loving it, I KNEW my family had to have a snowball fight of their own!!!

MAV/O FAMILY SNOWBALL FIGHT!!

Camden nailing her momma with a snowball (if you look close, you can see it bouncing off me and powder flying)!

My, and my athletic self, trying to dodge the snowball Jay was throwing at me.  

Nice moves!! Haha.  JK!

Jay throwing a snowball at Cheryl and the camera  (it is coming right at you...up by the tree)! 

Cheryl about to get nailed with the snowball...but she kept shooting the pictures!!

Popi getting Camden

Cory about to KILL his fiancé, Amanda, with a snowball.  See...SUPER COMPETITIVE...

Look at his face...DIE HARD!!

Another cool thing we got to do while at this new camp site, was go on a nature hike and feed the longhorns.  My kids LOVED this!!!

Touching his tongue.

Camden, my little animal/nature lover, was in heaven!

Braelynn wasn't so sure...Big Sister Camden stepped in to help her out.  Precious!

We got a lift from Uncle Cam (who was too lazy to walk to the trail) on the way back to the camper!

On our last night there, we made DELICIOUS smores!!  Afterwards, the kids had a blast being CrAzY with Cory!!  

We can not wait until our next camping trip.  Hopefully we can sneak away some time this fall, between football and baseball season.