Camping!!

Every year we get together with my Step-Mom's family and spend a weekend camping together. It's so much fun!! We decided to do it about 7 or 8 years ago, since we can't seem to manage getting together at Christmas, and this is more fun that a turkey dinner anyway :) Every year we go to a different provincial park, we've only repeated a couple places, so it's been a great adventure :) Some places have been awful, and some breath taking :) This year we went to MacGregor Point Provincial Park. I LOVE it there :) I've camped there almost every summer since I was 4. I was a bit disappointed to see that the town had changed so much since I was last there. It's not looking as touristy any more..and I really thought that was a big part of it's charm. It was touristy, without being overwhelming or gaudy. Now it seems to have a lot of drug stores :) But it was the same town, and holds the same fond memories from my childhood.

For the most part, camping was fun. It rained so hard, and for so long the first night, that our tent flooded :) I can laugh at it now, but when you're reaching into your bag, and pulling out dripping wet underwear..not so funny in that moment. I don't know that I have ever been camping during a thunderstorm like that. It seemed like it was right over top of us. I was starting to think we should probably get the kids in the van when it finally started to let off. So, we spent Saturday morning drying out the tent. and attempting to dry out our stuff. Unfortunately, every time we hung things up to dry, it would start to rain again! I finally gave up, threw it all in the van, and headed to the beach :)

Great camp beach there. You can go out for like 2KMs, and still not hit water higher than your bum :) Great for the kids. Of course, the entire time we were at the beach it was hot and sunny. Enough that the kids and I got a burn :( We took our stuff and threw it in a dryer for awhile, and everything came out warm and dry :) It was great knowing I'd have dry clothes in the morning!!

Sunday we went on a hike with everyone. We saw a couple frogs and turtles. Ryan dropped his water bottle of the pier, and my uncle Mark held him by his feet while he reached under to grab it :) That was hilarious to watch. Then we checked out the visitor's centre, where they have lots of reptiles on display :) Mason LOVED that!! When we got back for lunch it started to rain again. But it thankfully didn't last too long, and Al and I managed to fit in a game of gin while the kids coloured and played in the rain. We headed back to the visitor's centre after dinner to see a movie. It was cute for the kids, all about baby animals, and how every species is so different.

Monday wasn't as great. We were sad to be packing up and leaving. And my Grandpa (who hadn't come camping with us in Years) wasn't feeling well. My Dad needed to go into town to get something for my grandpa, and his car wouldn't start!! Ugh!! It turned out to just be a battery, but it still sucked pretty bad at the time. But, it got fixed, and we all made it home safe and sound.

It was a pretty low key weekend, but it's what I needed I think :) Been a very long time since I've had a day off. I miss having days off :)