This is what summer looks like...

Remember when you were 10 years old and school ended.  You were filled with sheer joy that you weren't going to have to get up for school for what seemed like an eternity.  I'm pretty sure it felt something like this:

Remember when you were small enough to swim in a creek....Zac still is :)

Having a picnic outside was pretty much the best idea ever!   Jay likes them because can teach his brothers how to scarf down cookies!

Sparklers were the best thing ever invented!

Hanging out with your mom was still cool. <3 font="" nbsp="">

The boys had their first day back at school today and while I'm not sure that this past week will make their list of top vacations, it definitely has made mine.   We are so blessed.  I hope everyone else is enjoying the summer with their family too!

P.S.- Thank you to everyone who called, emailed, or text me ideas to fix the boys bedroom.  I still has a little bit of touching up left to do, but I think Dom likes it!

Camping Review: Three Valley Campground- Holland, NY

In our house, Memorial Day marks the official start of camping season.  We always book a site at SpragueBrook Park (Glenwood, NY) for our first camping adventure.  It is less than fifteen minutes from our house so it is the perfect place to go for our first visit, just in case something goes wrong!  Unfortunately, with our crazy start to 2013 we missed the window to make a reservation and by the time we tried to book....they were filled!  So we decided maybe it was time to try someplace different.  Three Valley Campground located in Holland, NY became our destination!

So excited to be camping!

Dom and Zac are probably the best camping buddies I could ask for.  They like to hang out, explore the surroundings, and love a good campfire!  However, like all 11 year olds, they also love their iPad, TV, and watching movies.  So, they were not at all bothered by the frigid temperatures we had in WNY over the weekend.  They were able to enjoy some time in the camper without mom making them come out to enjoy the fresh air.  However, Jay was less thrilled.  He had one mission, and one mission only....ride his bike as much as humanly possible!

Yes, that is Jay's blankie stuck in the handlebars.  Such a silly boy!

The campground was VERY large.  Most people who stay there are seasonal campers who bring their own golf cart to go from one location to the next.  For a frame of reference, the nearest bathroom was about a half-mile away.  Which meant that if we wanted to do anything you had to get in the car and drive.  That fact was probably the biggest downfall of this park. So let's check it out!

Standard bathroom with sink, shower, and two toilets

I can't lie, the pond was beautiful!  If we ever come back I want to stay at one
of the sites by the pond.  We were a good 1/2 mile away.

It was so cold outside I tried to stay warm by baking brownies and putting all the blankets on me! It worked...until Jay discovered my whereabouts.  

Irresistible Brownie Face Invasion!

The boys devoured the brownies!  They are awesome!

Perks:  *Water, Electric hookups at all sites

            *Family Friendly environment

            *Some of the nicest camping neighbors we have had....everyone was very friendly!

            *Relatively flat road (perfect for riding bikes or going for a walk)

            *Walking trails varied from "easiest" to more challenging hikes

            *Bathrooms with toilets and showers were well maintained

            *Heated inground pool

            *Large pond stocked with fish (catch and release)

            

Downfall:  *Everything was VERY far away

                  *Sites varied in size greatly.  Seasonal sites tended to overlap on "weekender" sites making some sites uncomfortably small.  We were lucky and were able to move our site when our initial site had this very problem.

                  *The playground was archaic with the exception of one cool plane glider.  

                  

So when everything was said and done I think it's safe to say that this campground was not for us.  We're going to keep exploring and find the perfect fit.  I'm not completely writing it off forever though.  I think some of the amenities (ex. pool) may be nice if we had been blessed with better weather.  In the meantime, we are going to keep searching for our next adventure.  If anyone has some suggestions, let me know.  I love trying someplace new!

Gearing Up!

Ok....We are approximately 20 days away from our first camping trip of the 2012 season and gearing up for another year of fun and adventure!  With the help of Pinterest I have been able to create a HUGE collection of fun ideas to do with the boys this year during our camping trips.  I can't wait to try out the glowstick in bubble solution to make glow in the dark bubbles!  Since they were born D&Z have always been faithful about getting 10 hours of sleep.  However, since they turned 10 years old they somehow decided that they need to stay up later.  There are pros and cons to this new development.  It's great to see them for an extra hour (Last night we were able to take them outside to see the BEAUTIFUL moon!)  However, it definitely means that I am getting a lot less done!  haha!  The tradeoff is well worth it!


Unfortunately, we just found out that one of the boys has a severe milk allergy that we were not aware of.  As a result, many of my fun meal ideas are no longer going to happen.  It's funny because one thing I have always said was despite their challenges, I was thankful that we never had any allergies to worry about!  haha!  Karma came and bit me in the butt!  While I'm learning more about how to adapt my cooking, I also need to come up with some fun new camping recipes!   It will definitely be a fun adventure!  


Now that the weather is nice outside, it is time to start checking and packing the camper.  We generally keep our camper well stocked (it has an extra set of dishes/pots/pans) so I don't have to keep moving things from the main house into the camper for each camping trip.  However, I created a simple checklist of all things that we need in order to have a happy camping trip.  Your list will undoubtedly be different, but feel free to use mine as a jumping off point as you create your own.  I print out a new checklist for each camping trip and put in in a clipboard to check off before we leave.  Some of the items may seem obvious (ex. camper keys), however when you are rushed to leave....even those can sometimes be forgotten!  Thank goodness for good friends who will bring them to you!  Enjoy the checklist, modify as needed, and Happy Camping!

Pinterest Camping Board

Camping Checklist