Adventuring in 2022 (Part 4)

Celebration!! How do you celebrate your birthday? E turns FOUR this September. His birthday is usually the same weekend as our family reunion (which is did this year) so we celebrated on the camper! Simple, but cute we hung up a Happy Birthday banner, put a tablecloth on the table, and hung up a confetti banner.

We also celebrated with special cups from the dollar store - fish bowls! From a kid's point of view, a birthday is the ultimate day of excitement and anticipation. It's a day filled with magic and wonder, where they feel like the center of the universe. The excitement often starts building days or even weeks in advance, as they eagerly count down the days until their special day arrives. For E, he starts the countdown the day AFTER his birthday with a countdown.

The real thrill of the day comes from the anticipation of presents. They can hardly contain their excitement as they tear open each beautifully wrapped gift, revealing the treasures inside. Whether it's a new toy they've been dreaming of, a book they've been wanting to read, or a special item they never knew they wanted, each present brings squeals of delight and shouts of joy. Can you tell?

They feel like royalty as they blow out the candles on their cake and make a wish, surrounded by the people who love them most. A birthday is a day of pure, unadulterated joy, and from a kid's point of view, there's nothing quite like it. E opened up a golf ball set and immediately wanted to use it, Papa got to show him how, what a special moment.

Of course little brother wanted a turn too. Along with the reunion we also explored the area and got to see all different types and styles of covered bridges. We did have a favorite bridge, but first please enjoy E's most famous drawing of the weekend: It's a MARIO!

On birthdays we have several traditions that we still followed even while on the road:

1. Pick their breakfast and dinner (anything!)

2. Pick an activity

3. Balloons in their bed (on the day of their birthday)

For his birthday this year he wanted a bowl of marshmallows and graham crackers for his breakfast. Looks delicious, all he needed was chocolate!

We stayed within an hour of the campground, but the area was known for covered bridges. If you didn't know, my husband LOVES covered bridges. We also brought Waldo along, can you see him in each picture?

I liked the covered bridge with the wooden slats inside. We also saw a quilted covered bridge with different designs on the different sides of the bridge. Here are some interesting facts about them:

 Covered bridges are typically made of wood, with a truss system providing structural support. The covering can be made of wood or sometimes metal, and it often features a distinctive sloped roof. Many covered bridges also have windows or openings on the sides for ventilation and visibility.

Covered bridges were originally built for the practical purpose of protecting the wooden structural elements from the weather, which could cause them to deteriorate more quickly. The covering also provided shelter for travelers and their animals. Covered bridges continue to hold a special place in the hearts of many people as symbols of community, heritage, and tradition. They serve as reminders of a time when craftsmanship and practicality were valued, and they continue to inspire awe and admiration today.

Covered bridges often attract tourists and visitors who are interested in history, architecture, or simply enjoying the picturesque beauty of these structures in a natural setting. Preservation societies, government agencies, and local communities work together to maintain these bridges for future generations to enjoy. People like my husband... he wants to protect these bridges!

The weekend was wonderful and we were able to explore the area, celebrate a birthday, visit family, and try out a new campground. Should we start taking a picture at each new campground's main sign?!

What better way to start and continue new adventures than training the kids to help out! 

Honestly this is tough, he has strong muscles! He was hercules!

    

It's sometimes crazy to think of how much has changed since 2020, since 2018, 2016, 2014, 2010. These are hallmark years. Each of those years has held something special or monumental. Now we can add 2022 to that list, it was the year we started camping and adopted BLAZIN' THUNDER.

We miles and miles of bike riding, E learned how to ride a two wheeler and then quickly outgrew his bike. His next trick he is trying to learn is how to pop up the front wheel, I wonder when he will do it!

Classic memories.. ask my kids and they will answer.

What do you like to do when we go camping?

B will say: sleeping on the camper.

E will say: bike riding and playing games.

Outside or inside we find a lot of things to do.

Here are some of our favorite things we keep in our toy bin on the camper:

1. Lawn Ball Catch - linked here

2. Golf Training Set - linked here

3. Headlamps - linked here

4. Bubbles

5. Plastic Jenga (also serves as a set of blocks!) - linked here

6. Basic bucket and set of shovels per kid

These are some of my favorite memories, even though it's a picture and I don't remember what we were talking about, but looking and spending time with my boys and E having the biggest smile because we all know he was about to splash big into that puddle. Good times.

Dillon State Park has a great beach area. While it was a little windy today, we were able to enjoy our time and create a path to pour water into. I think that activity kept them busy for at least 30 minutes! Crazy what a challenge will do!

Close to the beach there is a brand new playground, a basketball court, a volleyball and pickleball court, a tennis court, a soccer field, and a Storybook Trail. While it's encouraged to walk the trail, the boys and I rode our bikes and stopped at each page of the book to read.

Cherishing these bike rides because one day too soon, B will be speeding and riding along all by himself.

This weekend was full of good memories and classic activities and games, but don't underestimate the power of IMAGINATION. They found maps and suddenly discovered a new cozy blanket and a way to make their secret hideout. Parents were not allowed to know the password.

Our tree is filling up with memories and drawings. I love to encourage all things that encourage imagination and thinking for themselves. What can they create? What can they build? What can they draw?

Traveling into the future... this picture (in 2024) is still Marcus's background on his phone. 

Should we ask him what makes this picture his favorite?

Our family? Our first camper? #guentheradventures