Some "Firsts" for the Fourth

We did something as a family that we've never done before.............we went camping for the first time.  As we are total novices and somewhat crippled in our relationship with mother nature, we joined our friends--the Becksteads'--at their campsite, near Ocean Shores, for the 4th of July weekend.  They are the professionals and we are the apprentices!  Everything I learned about camping I learned from them and Pinterest!




















We found a campsite in the resort that was big enough for both rigs and their tent trailer.  Then we set up shop.  It reminded me of playing "house" as a kid, except there was 2 dads, 2 moms, 2 dogs, and a LOT of kids!  Their kids slept in their camper trailer......and we put our kids in tents.  (Thank you, Fred Meyer, for a fantastic sale so that we could have a "boy" tent and a "girl" tent!).  Air mattresses were reserved for bad backs, hurt shoulders, and ceramic hips--everyone else slept like the natives!





















Jeff and I roughed it out in the truck.  (Phone chargers, automatic mosquito protection, and cup holders!)  Jeff has made it very clear throughout the years that his idea of camping was Motel 6; so for him to sleep somewhere without "the light on", was a huge step into the adventures of going primitive.  Molly had to sleep with the girls...no surprise there :)  Our suite was actually kind of cozy, with lots of pillows and our own comforters.  The only thing I missed was the master bathroom...but we not only survived, we had a lot of fun!  Three days worth of fun to be exact!



















Our first morning together was the 4th of July!  No TV. No XBOX.  Just chairs around the campfire and snuggling with other people's babies. 



Lisa made Chicken in gravy in a huge dutch oven and 2 pots of peach cobbler!  We were SO full!

It's a good thing we all know how to cook for an army--because feeding 15 people, 3 meals a day over open fires and with hot coals--takes a little planning and nerve!  But we ate very well, thank you very much!

I thought it would be a lot of fun to create some festive shirts similar to ones that what I had seen on pinterest.  Lisa and I laughed because she thought of doing the exact same thing. So 11 kids and a lot of paint later.....we felt festive!


Lisa and Alayna

I made the kids wear their shirts to the HUGE firework show down the beach.  It was the best fireworks show I've ever seen!!


No paintbrushes required--just hands and fingers! Jessica was adding her stripes




Nathan--Art merit badge project, right??



Yes...you have to make a shirt, Braden!

Resistance is futile.  Finish the shirt, get your picture taken, and move on to trying to build another campfire without matches.  That's how it's done!  Cameron loved it.
 

Look how handsome they all are with their new flag shirts! My three musketeers!

We took the kids down to the beach to fly kites and look for shells.  The only Angry Birds were the ones in the sky and the dog on the ground.

























The kids hauled Molly everywhere they went, but she led the way every time...right back to the truck!  She didn't care for the wind, the wet sand, or the water. 
























In fact, she spent a lot of her time wrapped up like a baby and sitting with someone. She's definitely a refined creature that likes it warm, dry, and soft!



















We wanted to have great seats down on the beach for the fireworks show...but that didn't stop us from taking some time to have a great dinner beforehand.  It was my first time doing foil dinners...and I have to say--for a novice, I nailed it!  They were FaNtAsTiC!!  I marinated the strips of steak ahead of time in my favorite Herb marinade.  Lisa helped me prep the vegetables and assemble the foil packets.  Dave offered us a great scouting tip that turned our creations into the perfect foil dinner--by putting wet newspaper between the foil layers to keep the food from burning in the fire pit. The damp paper creates steam in-between the layers and helps form a barrier between the food and the flames.

The kids threw them into the fire pit and waited. Sure enough--perfect foil dinners every time and they turned out delicious!!  Delicious food=Happy Campers!!

'Twas a wonderful 4th of July night! And definitely the biggest fireworks show I've ever seen!  You could seen the hugest show for miles in every direction.  The ocean was lapping in the background and there were huge bonfires on the beach.  I'll be more prepared for the troops next year....with extra blankets and hoodies to shield our faces from the wind. We didn't get back to camp till well after midnight.  We all slept in the next morning...as much as you can without blinds to block out the sunlight or a bathroom nearby!




















That morning was our family's turn to make breakfast for everyone.  Another great Pinterest idea....we made omelets in a bag.  I put 2 eggs in all the quart freezer bags with a little salt and pepper.  Then the kids added their extra goodies...(cheese, seasonings, etc.) and got to squish the bags till the eggs were one color, instead of two.  (Note to self for next year--bring chopped peppers, ham, onions, sausage, bacon, etc.  Now I know better!)  You just dunk the bags in boiling water until the egg releases from the side of the bag.  It just slides out of the bag and right onto the plate.
























So as Dave and Jeff were flipping pancakes, Nathan and Lisa were dipping eggs. Teamwork helped create the perfect breakfast combination of pancakes and eggs for our hungry bunch.
























Our awesome shirts became a clothing staple the next day too.  We headed north to a quaint little coastal village called Seabrook.  It was like a picture out of a storybook.
























The beaches were almost empty of holiday traffic, so the kids were able to roam and look for sand dollars for what seemed like miles.



















Nathan found a couple of live ones where the bottoms of the shells still have "fur" and sponge-like texture on them.



















Being overcast and a bit drizzly didn't stop our little people from digging up the beach or bouncing off the waves.
























I really liked being disconnected from the media and electronics.  The kids enjoyed each other a little more and enjoyed a lot of the simpler things we take for granted.



















On Saturday, we headed to the breakers just south of Ocean Shores.  We were heading home that day, but wanted to work a little more beach time into our visit.  The waves were really dirty from coast, but still pretty impressive in the alcove of the beach.

All in all--our weekend of firsts was pretty awesome.  Everyone was very happy to have gone and were anxious to get planning what to do on the next camping trip. Dad stayed sane, despite not getting a shower for three days and that's a RECORD in the history of our family! Even Molly faired very well with the whole experience to drag her along again.  We learned that camping is not hard to do...just takes a lot of preparation and a good attitude.  It turned out to be a LOT of fun!

























On a side note: I've put every one of my kids in Saltwater sandals when they were little.  Over a dozen pairs later, we are down to the last pairs of childhood.  To me, they are one of the ultimate symbols of childhood. It's kind of sad to me that I only have one child left that even FITS into them.  There was just something sweet about seeing her sandals at the beach...while she was in the saltwater!