Happy birthday to me + last weekend's camping trip

Sunday was my birthday.  27.  Late thirties.  Yuck.  Still, it was lovely.

With choruses of "Happy birthday, momma," coming from my little one all day, how could it not be?



Went to church.  Skipped out a little early because Bob was losing it (we still haven't succeeded in getting him to stay in the nursery).

Went to the Dakota for brunch.  So so so delicious.  Omelets made to order, bacon, sausage, potatoes, belgian waffles and pancakes, breads and pastries, fresh fruit, ham and roast beef, smoked and peppered fishes, chocolate fountain... I could go on but I won't.  Bobby's at a great age for taking to restaurants nowadays, especially buffet style, because he can put down a ton of food but he still eats for free.

Tried to go to the Pow Wow and failed -- the drive was just a few minutes too long and bob fell asleep in his car seat, plus we didn't have a single dollar of cash on us and geniuses that we are didn't consider the idea that we might need some.

So we went home, and just hung out for the afternoon.  Ben and I relaxed and enjoyed watching Bobby act like a crazy midget running all over the house with every type of ball imaginable and jumping from the coffee tables to the couches.

Then we went to my mom's for dinner expertly prepared by tom, followed by cheesecake for dessert.  Mom, I've told you a hundred times, but your cheesecake is the greatest on earth.  And this was perhaps the best yet.  I think I'm going to go have the last piece for breakfast right now.

"cut it in half like grandmother"

Mmm that was so good.

Last weekend we went camping.  For the most part I don't really feel like talking about it but I do have a few pics...

saturday morning

very happy to be back on his tractor... 

... and to reunite with his pup 

chillax-in-the-tent-while-it-pours time 

blankie lover

sunday morning tiny frog on tent 

crab apples in the morning after lots of rain 

Best part of the trip: Saturday it pretty much rained all day.  (That's not the best part, but I'm getting to it.)  Chloe and Mason had been begging everyone for toad rides (that's the six-wheeler) so I finally gave in, but then the minute we drove away, it started really pouring.  We were drenched before we crossed the first field.  But since we were already wet I figured we may as well keep going, so I took them on the back trail that follows the telephone lines over the hill, then across the neighbor's fields and ours, then down to the pond.  All the while we were screaming as we raced through trees and tall grass with rain stinging our faces but we didn't even care because it was just so exciting.  And I kept screaming things like, "This is CRAZY!" just to get them more riled up and the looks of pure joy on their faces plus their cries of "You are the best auntie!" made the whole trip more than worthwhile.  And then I said (since by this point we were almost completely soaked through from head to toe anyway), "Wanna jump in the pond with all our clothes on?"  And of course they did.  So we jumped in (well, Chloe jumped, then I pushed Mason, then I jumped) and actually the water felt warm compared to how chilly we already were so we jumped in a few more times before we went to ask Grandma Kay for fresh towels and returned to the campsite to dry up.  And on the way back, of course Mason had to jump in one more time.  I sure do love those two kiddos, and I love to give them fun memories to hold onto.

chloe, bobby, mason, and "fih-fie," a fishing lure chloe gave to bob and he played with for days straight