This past weekend found Tracy and I going on a "test run" camping trip. The Millers offered to watch the kids while Tracy and I took the weekend off. We are planning a family camping trip over Memorial weekend and we thought it would be a good idea to test the equipment first (and how the dog will "react"), turns out it was a good idea. We loaded the boat with all our stuff and headed out Friday after Tracy got home from work. We dropped the kids at the Miller's around 6:00 and headed towards Afton to the campground. However our first obstacle - the roads were closed and we ended up going all the way north to 94 only to go east and then travel south along the Saint Croix back to where we started, not fun. At 8:00 we put the boat in and at 8:30 were took it out again because it would not start.
Meanwhile we had packed our equipment for boat camping not backpacking, which is what we had to do (now) because of the boat issue. We arrived at he campground and got organized to carry our stuff the 3/4 mile trek to the campsite. Tracy had the tent,sleeping bags,camp chairs and Nikki while I had our clothes, cook kit, and food. It was a brutal workout and we were lucky to run into some really nice kids who helped us out (she was avoiding prom because her boyfriend just dumped her so her older & younger brother decided to take her camping to get her mind off of it. They were pretty cute) We finally made it to our campsite around 9:00, it was getting dark and there was someone on our site and he had a fire going with our wood!The camp staff helped move him to his spot, Tracy started setting up the tent, for the first time, and in the dark, while I made another trip back to the car for the cook stove, lantern and water.
I made it back to the site,, Tracy had the tent almost up, (impressive) and at 11:00 we had dinner, finally. We crashed and had a great night sleep and even Nikki had a good night.
Saturday , after breakfast found us back at the Marina, and no sooner did the service guy showed up the boat started, go figure. Tracy asked him are expecting rain? his response in about 10 minutes and the next 2 hours found us in the car, in the campground parking lot, waiting for the rain and lighting to stop. The afternoon ended up nice but hot. We took the dog for a long hike through the woods along the river and Tom was able to fish and catch a few.
Saturday , after breakfast found us back at the Marina, and no sooner did the service guy showed up the boat started, go figure. Tracy asked him are expecting rain? his response in about 10 minutes and the next 2 hours found us in the car, in the campground parking lot, waiting for the rain and lighting to stop. The afternoon ended up nice but hot. We took the dog for a long hike through the woods along the river and Tom was able to fish and catch a few.
Dinner was several hours earlier than the night before! We packed out most of our stuff after dinner and headed back to the camp to read books by the campfire/lantern. It was another nice night. Sunday morning we had breakfast, cleaned up camp and packed back to the car. The weather was super humid and hot and I was wondering when we got back to the car why I evened bothered putting on a clean shirt!T
he kids were all amped up when we got back and the Miller's were ready to see them go! 
Jimmy was off to a birthday party while Billy and Kay were preparing for the Spring Gymnastics show. It was held in the gym, which is a huge two room pole barn complete with no air conditioning and several hundred sweaty kids while the temp was pushing 90 and the humidity was out of control. Our friend Sandy met us there and we watched as the kids one by painstakingly one, performed at Olympic levels on the floor, rings, parallel bars and the horse.
he kids were all amped up when we got back and the Miller's were ready to see them go! 
Jimmy was off to a birthday party while Billy and Kay were preparing for the Spring Gymnastics show. It was held in the gym, which is a huge two room pole barn complete with no air conditioning and several hundred sweaty kids while the temp was pushing 90 and the humidity was out of control. Our friend Sandy met us there and we watched as the kids one by painstakingly one, performed at Olympic levels on the floor, rings, parallel bars and the horse.
Kay and Billy had a ball and the similes when they were awarded a trophy are priceless! as they keep saying "this is my FIRST trophy" I like their confidence in the future:)
