Camping trip day 2

Good Morning.....
Day 2.....we are hoping to have a full day of adventure today....
Austin is already a fan of the camper, wake up and open the windows....he can see outside everywhere he looks.

Dressed and outside...how exciting.
BUBBLES...a word he knows well. Not that he really wants you to blow bubbles all the time but he loves to carry around the bubble wand and use it as a cane.

Dad is enjoying his morning coffee....

All ready for a bike ride to go exploring....the first of many.

The lake....it is so neat to look out on a lake and see huge trees growing out of the water.
Many of the trees in the lake are over 100 years old. Bald Cypress trees are unlike most trees. Once the seed is planted and the tree is growing (a few feet high) the roots can be completely submerged in water and the tree will grow perfectly happy. The roots grow fairly shallow but very far out to create a super stable foundation for these georgous trees. They also shoot up these little stumps called knees.....these are not new trees they are for helping with stability. They help trap dirt and other things to help create ground around the tree. They are very slow growing trees...they grow about an inch in diameter a year...so as you see pictures of these trees you can really see the history around with the size of the tree trunks.

It is so different to look out across a lake and see these wonderful trees everywhere.

Once we were done with our bike ride we went to the front to check in and they had an exhibit with facts and pictures of animals and other things about the lake.

They had this tree replica that the kids really liked.

Lauren is touching one of the moths they had a replica of.

Back to camp and time for breakfast (yes it is only about 9am at this point...I told you we had busy days)

After breakfast it was nap time......

A walk down to the boat ramp to go on a boat tour...we are waiting to see if anyone else shows up (there is a minimum for the boat to go out...we were trying to beat the weekend rush though)

A lovely look at the Spanish moss that grows on the Cypress trees...it does not hurt the trees at all, it gets all it's nutrients from the air. The indians used to use this as stuffing in their pillows and bedding. They would fill a pillow type thing and use it for a few days until the moss would become dry and brittle, then they would empty it out and get more. It is now illegal to remove the moss from the trees (this is so companies can't come and strip it all off the trees and sell it).

After all the talk of our boat tour and a little waiting no one else showed up, back over to camp to figure out what's next.

We decided we would go drive around an see if we could find another tour (we also needed to get some forgotten things in town).

We found a paddlewheel tour in Uncertain, TX for 11am tomorrow morning so we booked it. This is the back of the boat and looking up the river we will travel tomorrow.

While we were standing on the dock checking out the boat for tomorrow we saw this steamboat coming towards us. Go figure it is a tour boat also (we already paid for Swap Thing here)...next time. We got a video of the boat I will share later but it was so neat to hear the steamboat coming towards us.

Once we left Uncertain we went to Jefferson. Jefferson was a very cute town with a fun General Store we went into and got some ice cream (Sorry no pictures....holding Austin and ice cream and sharing without making a mess was enough).

Once our errands were done it was back to camp.....BUBBLES.. Lauren made a big bubble.

The camper all set up with our lights and everything.

Lauren is waiting for dinner (hot dogs over the camp fire...then smores)

A stop for a quick family picture...

Austin found out about dirt big time this week. As you can see he is all about being in the dirt to play....Lauren not so much. Lauren would dig in the dirt but she wasn't sitting in it. We were laughing at them.

Austin used shovels and his hands...Lauren, only shovels....

YUCK...Austin is tasting the dirt.....

No, he did not have chocolate...that's a dirt mustache.....yum, how was that dirt?

Dinner time......

Austin had a little trouble with the concrete pad under the picnic table. There were parts pretty level with the dirt and others had quite a lip...more than once he tripped and fell as you can see by his knees. I think tomorrow might call for pants to protect those little knees.

So day 2 was quite eventful but there is still so much to share about the next couple days. I hope you enjoyed todays adventures and facts about the trees.

Camping trip day 1

This week we went on a family camping trip to Caddo Lake in Karnack, TX. Caddo Lake is the only natural made lake in the state of Texas and the largest in the South. We knew some facts about the lake before we went but we learned a lot while we were there. I will share some more as I share our trip.

We are here!!!!! Camp site 45...home for the next 4 days.


We were the first spot on our road...this was the way to the lake (and the bathroom). You take a right at the yield to the bathroom and to the left is the lake (this will be seen later....must set up camp). We were all ready to get out and unpack and set up.

You have to check out the spot to make sure we know where the trailer will go...make sure nothing is in the way.

Bug spray was a MUST!!! The mosquitoes were huge and hungry!!

Crank that house up!!! Good job Daddy!!!

Trailer's up and Mom's busy making beds and making it a home for the week.

This is Mike and I's bed.......

This is Lauren and Austin's bed...we will see how this will work with Austin.

After getting everything set up we went to Marshall, TX to the Walmart and dinner at El Chico. When we came back it was time for bed and time to find out how Austin was going to be at bed time.

A few weeks before our trip I saw the bed gate and thought it might be good for the camper. As you can see Austin is excited about this BIG bed. He was laughing and all smiles....lets just hope he sleeps. This is a good sign....he is laying down by himself.

So day one is over, camp is set up and we are ready for the adventures of the week. Not much happened today but I guarantee the next few days are packed with adventure and fun (some days maybe split into two so I can share all our fun).

For those wondering...after laying with him for a few minutes Austin fell asleep in the bed with Lauren.....how did he sleep? Rather well, about 4 am he was thirsty so I got him some milk and brought him in our bed and he slept until about 7. The bed gate was a GREAT buy...as I looked across the camper trying to get out of bed and he was at the edge of the bed leaning on the gate (he did wake up Lauren crawling over her but she wouldn't have been able to stop him from going off the edge).

So more adventure and fun facts tomorrow.

All Boy

This past Sunday we had dinner at my parents house and Austin showed off his "Boyness".....we spent the whole afternoon outside which assisted in his adventures. It is so funny to think back to when Lauren was this age and how she was and then look at Austin. Lauren was such a sweet, quiet, clean little girl (I guess that should be a clue...GIRL)...she wasn't in to everything, she didn't like her hands to get dirty, she was pretty quiet for the most part. Then there is Austin......LOUD, into EVERYTHING, and exploring with his hands (getting them dirty) and sometimes even his mouth.......see for yourself......

To add to the backyard fun, Emily brought her baby Rocky and Steph and BJ brought their baby Leo. Austin has been around both dogs for a very small amount of time and he was not real sure about them......he didn't really have a choice on Sunday if he wanted to play but to get used to them. After a little bit of time he made new friends.




Here he is petting Rocky...just his size..

And here is is leaning in to give Leo an AAWWW (the noise he makes when he hugs). He still keeps a little distance from Leo....wouldn't you with a dog as big as you?

Although he made friends he would make this face whenever they ran by or came towards him
(gotta love that face..."there coming, they might lick me or knock me over")
As Austin was running around you can see Lauren was Ms. Cowgirl riding her horse with one of her "girls" Mary Lou (don't tell Emily I called Mary Lou Lauren's girl).

Here Lauren was using the bubble blower and Austin is trying to catch them (or eat them).

While roaming around, he had a run in with the screen door...he had figured out how to open the door from the inside and outside.....he was going in, opened the door and made his way in but didn't keep moving when he got in so the door smacked him in the rear and pushed him forward, he was walking with the bubble gun and hit his mouth when he went down....busted his lip (blood and all) but that didn't slow him down (except the few minutes of crying and putting ice on his lip.)

Here you can see his lip a little (right top..looking at him..and the mark on his chin)

Back to being a boy...he found some wood (imagine wood at Bapo's house) you can see he is going to help Bapo with the wood.

I'm helping Bapo.....

He wanted Rocky to play with the stick but Rocky wanted to give him a kiss.....

He is so happy with the stick...

Then he found the fire pit....Look, I can put my stick in this.....

Why use that silly stick.....I can get my hands in there and touch it.....Swish it around

HHMMM...what is this?

He was having such a great time playing with the old ash and burnt pieces of wood....

Look at my hands...this is fun...

How far can I reach to get this stuff...

Then Lauren came to check out what he was doing.....As you can see, she is using the stick (she's not getting her hands dirty)

Look at those hands....better get some more...

Lauren is still helping with her stick...

Austin had an itch....now there's stuff on his face...haha

Not quick enough with the camera but here is the yuck face...Yep, he tasted it.....

Then he decided he would share with Steph.....Look at this big chunk Steph..

(Wipe)...more on the face...

He is having so much fun...

This stuff needs a good look...serious inspecting here...

Good look at the dirt on the face...

Soon after this he wiped his face again and was getting it close to his eyes so it was time to clean up.

Once clean he went to his handmade wooden tool set (Bapo made him some wooden tools I will have to write about later....they are so cool).

So as you can see, he had quite the adventure and as I said, showed his "boyness". I know everything is going to be an adventure with this boy as he grows........we had lots of adventures with Lauren but they were much quieter and cleaner.......BOYS!!!!!