bring on summer

and camping season!

Late yesterday afternoon, Jus and I returned from a fantastic weekend of camping with family and friends. It was four days filled with fun, sun, water, and delicious food. Food is a very important part of our camping trips. I think we started planning our menu on mother's day, or maybe even earlier. We eat sandwiches for lunch, but breakfast and supper are big productions. When we are eating supper, we discuss what we'll be eating for breakfast the next morning, and when we are eating breakfast, we discuss what we'll be eating for supper that night. It's a never ending circle - a very tasty circle.

leah cracked and stirred eggs for omelets monday morning and she helped to fry the fish saturday night

At each meal we cooked for about 20 people, sometimes more. And when cooking for that many people, it takes A LOT OF FOOD.  See that tray of empty egg shells? We cooked all of those, got some from the neighbors who were heading home, and sent Spanky to the store to buy some more - and that was just for omelets on Monday morning. It also takes everyone working together.

The kids waiting patiently for their omelets to be cooked. But they also hauled trash, watched the dogs, pushed the baby, and made trips back and forth to fetch things from one camper or another.

Supper menus included grilled hamburgers and hotdogs on Friday night, a fish fry Saturday night, and smoked ribs and chicken with grilled deer kabobs on Sunday night. Breakfasts were filled with bacon, sausage, hot links, biscuits, pancakes, and eggs. It is somewhat of a tradition that we have omelets on the last morning. It takes a bit of slicing, dicing, and crumbling - but oh the yumminess!

Mike and Jen handled the griddles and man did they do it up right!

Everyone gets to choose his/her fixin's. Some want meat and cheese only. Some want the works.

this is john's - he told jen to throw it all on there - and she did

This year's omelet bar had bacon, sausage, hamburger, bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, jalapenos, and cheese. Some people topped theirs with salsa. Heaven in a skillet I tell ya!

Here's mine. Jen added a garnish to pretty it up for the picture. That was the BEST omelet. No omelet at home can ever taste as good as these. And this type of breakfast is why we changed out of flip flops and hit the road for a long walk every morning. Between morning walks, walking the dogs throughout the day, and time in the water, I easily kept my commitment for the #4realfitnesschallenge.

If you have never camped, I say grab a tent, pack your ice chest, and drag your family to the nearest park ASAP. Our kids love it - the oldest "kid" brought her baby this year

he doesn't want me - he wants my phone!

And this little man loved it. He was passed from Momma to Daddy to GeGe to Grandad to aunt to uncle to cousin and back around again. He was pulled in his wagon, pushed in his car or stroller, and just carried around. We splashed with him, we played ball with him, and we did whatever he found entertaining. I'm betting that this morning he is wondering where everyone is and why we all aren't just out his window waiting to play.

Today I'm doing the laundry and packing it all right back because I'm leaving in a few days to go on another camping trip. This time girls only - no husbands or kids allowed.