New Year's Eve Campout!

We decided a campout is a great New Year's Eve tradition to start, since it it an outdoor, unplugged family activity. We spent the evening by the campfire talking about the church's 4 new categories of growth for Eddie- and did 3 out of 4 of them the next morning, as a way to start the new year off well.

Our dog, Cinnamon, enjoyed having us outside with her too, though she was very skittish until Seth took her on a good walk and then she got braver.

The kids were troopers through the loud (illegal) fireworks late at night, and enjoyed the trail around the lake the next morning.

Pack and play inside tent for Rex to sleep in

Starting to unload the car

Eddie's tent is almost ready

Collecting kindling and making the fire- Eddie's favorite part

"Hmm, what to do now?"

 Tents are up! Eddie insisted on having his own. The "golden hour" is coming.

Fire!

Fun times

"Can I please have s'more?"

Fireworks

Making the breakfast fire. We had banana/cinnamon buckwheat porridge!

Munching on last night's graham crackers while waiting for brekky.

The cutest boy I ever saw

It was cold!! It had been SO hot when we left we didn't bring jackets. So we wrapped up in Eddie's sleeping bag. 'Scuse my puffy face- I only got 90 minutes of sleep.

Kiddles playing in the pack and play

"Hat!" he said

Carrying his poor, tired little sister 

Cinnamon enjoyed all the smells on the trail

"Come on, Mommy!"

Right here she said, "I smell alligators"

This collection of trees was on a small island in the middle of the lake

Eddie was sad when it was time to pack up his tent. Next year, we'll have to go for longer