Boating and Camping with Papa

So it was Dad's great idea to ask the girls if they wanted to go camping. Um, surprisingly Alizah said yes! And she was not going to let Grandpa forget his promise to go camping in a tent.

After realizing what he had just done, Grandpa started dragging his feet about camping. I don't think he fully thought through what it meant, to go camping in the mountains, with two little girls.

Alizah, on the other hand wasn't afraid. She proudly told everyone:
"We're going camping in the hills and Papa will protect us from the monsters."

So cute!!

Dad finally decided to go buy a tent and do a "camping test run" - in the backyard!

{Piper explores the newly raised tent.}

After Dad and I popped a couple blood vessels setting up the tent, the girls were no longer interested in the tent. They wanted to go play in the boat in the garage.

So Dad seized the opportunity to distract the girl's minds from camping.

"Let's go for a boat ride," he said.

We all piled into the truck for an impromptu trip to the river. We swung by my house to pick up a very sweaty Kade, who was mowing the lawn, and we were off to burn daylight on the boat.



{When Papa is around, Piper wants nothing to do with anyone but Papa. And look closely - my dad has shorts on! Wahoo!}

{My mom is so dang cute in her life jacket!}

{Kade was such a good sport for going with us.
He had jeans and work boots on when we pulled him off the lawnmower.}

{Whoa! Alizah has crazy wind hair.}

{Look at that GORGEOUS sunset.}


When we got back to the house, it was bedtime - which meant camping time! Dad was still trying to weasel his way out of camping! But never fail, he fulfilled his reputation as the best Grandpa Ever and went camping with everyone. Alizah, Piper and I invited Kade and Grandma to our tent, but ended up with Roxy instead.

{Hey, it's still camping - even if it is in the backyard!}

We only had one meltdown - thanks to GRANDPA! He major FARTED and blamed it on a BEAR!! Are you kidding me?! A BEAR?!! Piper freaked out a couple minutes later when the wind picked up. When Mom heard her cries from inside, she swiftly moved into the tent. Ten minutes later, Piper was sound asleep and Mom went back into the house. A couple rounds of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" and Alizah's light was out.

That left Dad, Roxy and me to look out for bears. ALL NIGHT LONG. But the girls woke up bright and early, exclaiming:

"We went camping!"

P.S. We never went camping in the mountains because it major stormed the next two days. Whew! Mother Nature to Dad's rescue!