Camping!

Our camping supplies were the only things Kent and I gave thought to as we packed our storage unit in early March. Camping was something we knew we wanted to do this spring, and finally, there was warm weather in the forecast without the mention of thunderstorms. Woohooo! And, of course, in our true style, we talked about it all week but didn't make any definite plans or reservations until Saturday morning. Most (all!) of the nearby state parks were booked up by that point, so we ended up at a private campground in St. Mary's County. It had a beautiful marina, and had we arrived earlier in the day, we might have been able to use it. Since we arrived so late Saturday afternoon, we utilized the playground, a large field, and a porta-potty. The tenting area was pretty empty, so even though the sites were small, we had quite a bit of room to ourselves. The kids had fun. The adults had fun. I doubt we'll return to this place, but I am still glad we ventured out and used our camping gear.

We stopped at Walmart on our way to the campground to look at small portable grills, and all we ended up with were these two roasting sticks. LOL.

The girls got bored, and Daddy took over.


The girls had hotdogs for dinner and hotdogs for breakfast. No complaints there.

Success!

In between some fantastic thunderstorms this weekend, Kent had some success with fishing! I think he caught four fish and two crabs.

Leah went for several swims in her efforts to catch some ducks. She was unsuccessful with her hunts, but quite successful in swimming out way too far, tiring herself out, worrying the girls and I, and causing Kent to make a small save that resulted in a decent amount of mud and cursing. She is cute though, right? And aside from completely ignoring our calls for her, she is usually a pretty good dog. But, back on her leash she goes. Sorry, Leah. Poor choices have consequences.

More Farmer's Market

What you can purchase at the farmer's market around here:

It was cold and windy at Friday's farmers market. Too cold for fun in the surf, but Madeline loved watching these crabs wiggle around.

Notice how I am limiting the kids' sugar? Yes, I slipped up. From now on, they can choose a fruit or vegetable to purchase on our weekly trips to the farmers market.

Mother's Day 2011

We had a simple and quiet Mother's Day spent fishing and eating and being together. I just wanted a quiet day spent with my family, and for the first time in years, with my own mom. In retrospect, these pictures kind of look like they could have been taken on Father's Day, lol.

Baptisms

About a week ago, we attended the baptisms of our niece Rae and our nephew Kellen. It was pretty cute seeing all the little cousins lined up in the church pew, and it was nice to be able to be a part of a family gathering after missing out on so many over the years.

After the baptisms, we headed over to Blake and Jen's for a delicious dinner, a sleepover, and a pancake breakfast. The girls had so much fun that Kent and I had to drag them home.

I was able to get these cute photos right before the "I don't want to go home!" stuff started.

Farmer's Market

Tonight, we kicked off the start of the Friday night farmer's markets in North Beach with live music and fresh produce. Mom and I walked down to North Beach, Madeline rode her scooter, and Sophie chilled in the stroller. I really love this town and all of the local activities! We bought fresh strawberries, a basil plant, some kettle corn, and the girls had fun playing in the sand and surf afterward.

It was a fairly breezy evening, but that didn't stop Madeline from getting wet with one of the friends from her class. Its seems wherever we go around here, she runs into someone she knows. It's nice.

In other news, Madeline started a new gymnastics class this week. I told her from the get-go, she'd only be enrolled in the class until the school year ends. We'll likely have to leave our little town for job opportunities in the greater DC area this summer and rent something closer in to the city for Kent's commute around July/August, but until late June, she is happily a gymnast again. Pics to come!

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there! I hope you spend the weekend with the ones you love most making some lovely memories!

Sunset

Just a few pictures of the girls one evening this week while we waited for Kent to come home . . .

Sunday in the Park

On Sunday, Mom and I took the girls to a new park. I had my heart set on taking them to a farm to pick berries, but the closest one I could find was about an hour away. After looking around online for a nearby farm without the u-pick part, I found a great one with an adjacent playground, hiking paths, and a nature center. During the summer, there is even a carousel, mini-golf, pony rides, and a train. I think I found my new Griffith Park! Yay!