Inaugural Schneider Family Campout

Way back when we were just Two Schneiders, Louie & I used to camp out quite a bit. As our family grew, we looked forward to the day that we could start taking Family Camping Trips and that day came a couple of weekends ago.

When we found out about this great annual family campout through the mom of Josie's best friend at school, we couldn't pass up the opportunity. And while it seemed just a little short of crazy to take a newborn camping, it worked out wonderfully and we'll always look back on our first camping trip with big smiles on our faces!

It was the perfect combination of friends, great people (and very well organized so we all had everything we needed), lots of kids and all that camping has to offer - chasing fireflies, singing songs around the campfire, making s'mores, running around barefoot in the grass, playing games, making crafts, and having adventures that are the stuff of happy childhood memories in the making. 

Here are some photos. Enjoy! 

Josie & Lucia in "their" tent (which they swore they were going to sleep in, all by themselves, all night together even though neither of them typically make it through a night at home by themselves, yet alone in the great outdoors all alone, which didn't actually happen but it was so sweet that they tried). Oh and one more thing, it was this tent that prompted the end of Josie sleeping in overnight diapers. When she and Lucia changed into their pajamas and she noticed Lucia was going to (gasp!) sleep in panties, she declared right there once and for all that there were going to be no more overnight diapers for her - now or ever. And bless her little heart, she was right. She hasn't worn one since. (Thanks Lucia!!)

 Bea, chilling in the camper:

Breakfast, fireside:

Josie and Lucia, either telling one of many secrets, talking about "Mr. Nobody", planning their next adventure, or composing their "We Are Best Friends" song:

S'mores!

Bea, wrapping up her 12 hours of sleep in the camper!

 Stomp rockets!

 The VW Camper - Lou's brother's VW Camper which really made the whole thing possible (thank you thank you thank you Robert):

 Thanks again Amy! We had a blast!

 Most of the whole crew (that would be Josie & Lucia cuddling down in the corner):

 Oh yea, I forgot to mention that this whole adventure took place at John Bryan in Yellow Springs! So, we made a group field trip to Young's Dairy for some goat-feeding, lunch, and ice cream. (Sidenote: this no-dairy thing is easy most days BUT it was really hard to pass up the s'mores then really, really, really hard to pass up Young's!)

 Baby Bea of the forest:

 New friends:

 Time for a hike:

 I should mention, if the VW Camper gets the MVP award, breastmilk get an honorable mention. Because really, what else does a baby actually need? :)

My guess is that this was just the first of many campouts. Now go forth and start planning a camping trip of your own! (Invite us. We're game.)

Oh - I forgot one! Cute story. On the way up, we stopped at GroceryLand in Xenia to pick up something for the potluck.  While we were in there, Josie (who doesn't get candy very often) told me I had to come to the front of the store to see something. When we got there, she pointed at this big display and said oh-so-sweetly, "Mommy, I am not saying that you have to get me one of these. I just had to show you how beautiful they are!"  Yea, so I had to buy her one. And, it is quite obvious that she was overjoyed about it!

{I love these little moments.}