Hart Adventures: Camping Weekend

     I am way behind on my blog posts, I know. I'll have to go back and post about some of our other summer fun, but for now, here is a little about our first camping trip with the little girl. It was a short trip, only about 24 hours total, but one night in a tent with a 13 month old is plenty for now. We headed over to Lake Claiborne State Park, about an hour's drive from our house, Saturday afternoon. When we got there, Adam set up camp while SB and I watched. It was more work than Adam expected since we hadn't touched our tent in a while. Apparently, we loaned it out and the poles got broken. There were replacement parts, but they were too long. So poor Adam was sitting on the ground, shaving down tent poles with his pocket knife for a long time. Eventually the tent was up, but then we realized that all the waterproof tape was peeling up. Um. . . I think we need a new tent! Thankfully, no rain was in the forecast.

     Later on that evening, we took the kayaks out on the lake. SB rode in Adam's lap and "helped" him paddle. She did great for the first 5 minutes, but then she started trying to get out and worked up quite a loud cry/scream. So, SB's first kayak ride lasted a total of 15 minutes, but it was fun while it lasted


     Next, we walked over to the swim area where they had a beach. SB loved the water and called it a pool. Yep, it's just like a pool, only bigger and dirtier and full of fish and shells and bugs. Can you tell I'm not a huge fan of lake water? The sand wasn't as big of a hit, though. I guess Sara Beth isn't used to getting dirty (my fault, I'm sure). At first, she cried. Then, she started to get comfortable. She kept saying "dirty" and wiping her hands on her swimsuit. It was fun watching her figure it all out!

     Back at camp, we had dinner and then got ready for bed. Two hours later, SB was still running around the tent, climbing on top of my face, and having all kinds of fun. Adam and I were pretending to be asleep, thinking maybe she would get a clue. Needless to say, it was a very rough night! On top of that, I've been sick for a week and I woke up with pink eye on Sunday morning. Fun times.

     The next morning started with breakfast, breaking down camp, and then meeting up with some of Adam's mountain biking friends for a get-together at the pavilion. Adam rode a lap on the bike trail while SB and I went on a hike. It was pretty short, only about 30 minutes, but in this Louisiana heat, that was plenty for me! The state park is really beautiful! The last time we visited was for my 30th birthday when I was pregnant with SB. That was in the fall so we didn't get to explore the lake much. We really enjoyed it this time! Here are a few pictures of our family camping trip: