Summer Vacation 2012

Typically when we have time off we head home to see our families.  Last summer we didn't get a chance to take a non-Springfield trip so we were really excited to get away from home together this summer.  We had.....issues in the planning stage.  In the end we were supposed to go camping for three nights.  Even though there was a drought all summer and it rained and rained and rained all over our plans.  But, we had fun anyway.

The kids loved helping put up the camp site.  Thankfully, they were good at it because we stayed dry for the one night we got to sleep outside.



TA-DA!



Henry's was very handy with his compass.



And we finally got to go fishing.  I have been promising Ben for years that the children would get interested in fishing - who wouldn't with Ben? - and now he has three little fishermen.



He literally flipped the line in to check someone's pole and caught this fish.



Henry caught not one but two fish the first day!



Muppet went everywhere with us.  I will never camp without this dog again.  She was the absolute best guard dog ever.



Food!  The best part of camping is cooking meat outside.  Henry wasn't so sure.



But, then he ate the food!



Since it rained we headed into Amish Country which was full of something else Ben and I adore - those roadside flea markets.  This trip we went to one of the best and one of the hands down scariest ones I have ever seen.  The kids got a taste of finding treasure in other people's trash.

Emmett found this old metal farm lunchbox.  Perfect.



Bridget found this new dolly (trust her to find the crafty and new thing in the flew market) and she named her Daisy Rose.  There was a pile of 50 of these dolls.  It took her more than 30 minutes and three trips back to find Daisy Rose.



Henry and his Dad have a really hard time make decisions.  Try taking Ben to McDonalds.  Henry had the same issue both when he picked out his flea market item and his candy.  Thankfully Ben knew exactly what to say and Henry ended up with this really cool light blue suitcase that he has turned into a mobile art station.



We had lunch by the side of the road.  Still fun.



And then we went home that night.  We took a couple of trips out to try and fish again but every time we tried to step out of the car the thunder would roll in.

One day we had to run for the car, one day we fished in the rain.  That time Emmett caught two fish!  He didn't want to touch them at all.   Even though Bridget didn't catch anything she still loves to fish.



By Sunday I was beyond trying for more "fun" but not Ben.  He convinced me to try one more time and we had the best day ever going to a local island.  We took the ferry both ways, met great friends who showed us around on a golf cart, hiked - it was a perfect day.  And, no rain!





Live and learn.  If you really need to get away with your family don't plan a vacation that relies on good weather.  But, if you can, take Ben because he makes everything fun.