Seth's Birthday Part 2

We were still camping on Seth's birthday and our campground was near our favorite bakery.  

So we let him pick out his own pastry!  Yum! 

Later that night we were home, we opened presents and had birthday cake.  I always forget to buy the correct number candle so we added these up for his age.  :)  

Happy Birthday Doodles! 

As it turns out, Seth and Ford, aren't big fans of cake. Who doesn't like cake?!

Donuts and/or ice cream for them, from now on, I guess. 

It has been such a blessing these last 7 years being the parents of this sweet boy!  

Birthday Questionnaire: 

1. What is your favorite color? Green

2. What is your favorite toy? Nintendo DS

3. What is your favorite fruit? Watermelon

4. What is your favorite tv show? Ninjago

5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Carrots 

6. What is your favorite outfit? Star Wars Shirt

7. What is your favorite game? Mario and Sonic London 2012 Olympic Games

8. What is your favorite snack? Fruit Snacks

9. What is your favorite animal? Turtle

10. What is your favorite song?  We Win! By David Crowder

11. What is your favorite book?  Narnia

12. Who is your best friend?  Matthew, Magnuson, Ella, Silas and Owen

13. What is your favorite cereal? Cookie cereal

14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? catch worms, frogs and toads

15. What is your favorite drink? Mt. Dew

16. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas

17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Luigi

18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Cookie cereal

19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Steak and Shake

20. What do you want to be when you grow up? A Policeman 

21. What's your favorite dessert?  Brownies

22. What's your favorite subject in school? Art

23. What's your favorite movie? Monster House

We love you Seth! 

Second Time's The Charm or Not

Two weekends ago, Jed took the boys for their annual "Men's Camping Trip".  

The week prior, Seth and Ford had been sick and when the boys head out, I was still cleaning throw up out of Isla's pack and play.  

I'm not sure why we assumed Evan and Kane were immune, it was foolish.  And our folly led to a very stressful Saturday morning for Jed, as his eldest born was up before the sun, puking all over the camper.  

Fun times.  

He called it a weekend and came home.  

Miraculously Kane actually avoided this bout of sickness and by Tuesday everyone was well.  We decided to try a family trip.  

Unfortunately Florida decided it was time for summer to commence so our lovely 70 degree weather became high 80s with humidity so intense that Kane and Ford's hair looked like they stepped right off of the set of an Ogilvie commercial. 

The boys still enjoyed themselves, as they always do but it solidified that this was in fact our final hurrah until the fall.

For our first evening we didn't have time to find firewood or even make a fire so went to Sonny's for dinner.  Isla noshed on her first rib! 

  

The park had several nice trees to climb, keeping Seth and his brothers busy! 

After Isla learned to climb the stairs we bought this baby gate and when it arrived we realized it'd be perfect for camping!  She loved being able to crawl around and I loved not having to hold her 24/7! 

Happy girl teething on a sweet pepper! 

One of the nice things about having mini children!  

Fishing is there absolute favorite thing to do! 

Can't wait until next year!  

Camping

(I'm not doing a good job of keeping up on my blogging right now, between school obligations, a cranky teething baby and family visiting I'm struggling but I hope to get caught up soon and get back at it!)

We went on our final planned camping trip for the winter at Rodman State Park. 

High lights: 

discovering Ravine Garden's State Park,

 my first time cooking shepherd's pie over the fire,

 letting the three older boys shoot soda cans with a bb gun,

 the stars, 

the quiet,

being able to collect fallen limbs and pine cones for firewood, 

the cardinals that were flirting with one another in the trees behind our campsite,

finding that a ball tied to a string and hung from a tree could entertain a fussy baby for at least an hour,

the bathrooms are new, emaculate and featured a heat lamp in the shower area! 

Low lights: 

Palatka (its so run down it's depressing)

the biting no-see-ums, 

the dam at "the deuces" wasn't drawn down so the beach and drift wood were under water, 

the campground lost power in the middle of the night and of course it was the coldest night of our stay!

On to the pictures,

Dinner! 

"Mom I'm starving!" 

Cooking for a family of 7! 

Mornings in the camper look like this. 

Hillbillies! 

Evan's favorite bird! 

The baby is content, YES!

A walk through the woods with four goofballs! 

Hills are a big deal for Floridian boys! If possible they climb it! 

We hiked the Azalea trail. 

Group pic of our little hikers.

Our littlest hiker! 

Suspension bridge! 

I want one of these in our backyard, ahem, Jed, ahem. 

The crew. 

We found a park. 

Isla's loves slides. 

She's not as fond of rocking fire trucks with her brothers. 

Recovering from an adventuresome morning! 

How does he sleep like that? 

Walking to the boat launch to watch the sunset! 

Selfies! 

A Tree

Jed: "The campground had one of Florida's oldest Live Oaks, it was huge."  

Me: "Did it have a fence around it?" 

Jed: "No."

Me: "The city of Fruitland Park must not have too many meth heads that'll light their trees on fire so they can see their drugs." 

Jed: "Apparently not." 

I might stilll be a little bit bitter about The Senator being torched.  Sad day for central Florida.  At least we can still visit this monster when we go camping!  

Camping Update

Jed's been texting me pictures of their trip.  They're having a blast with the highlight being that daddy bought them fishing pole!  Our kids don't latch onto things very often but apparently that's because they hadn't been fishing yet.  They haven't caught a thing but they're content to cast and reel for hours!

Ford and I have been having fun too.  I think he must be going through a growth spurt because on Friday he fell asleep in our bathroom at 10:30am and slept until 2pm.  Later he took another short nap on our way to the store.   Today he almost fell asleep when I was changing his diaper at 9:30am, he took a long morning nap and a short afternoon nap today. 
On top of the wonky sleep schedule, my usually reserved and quiet son has been cracking me up with silly antics and chatting up a storm.  It was awesome to hear him use at least 5 new words today!  
I'm loving this one on one time with him but am also missing my other four boys! 

Friday Fun

This is what Kane and Seth did last Friday.  

It was Kane's first time playing with shaving cream, he loved it.

Seth had fun too!   

When they were done playing with cars they covered every inch of their bodies in cream, well other than the bottom of their feet at my request, before hopping in the bath. They laughed and laughed as they watched it dissolve into the water. 

This Friday were getting them packed to go camping.  Jed is taking Evan, Seth and Kane for their first ever boys weekend!!  I'm so excited for them!

 I see a yearly tradition forming here that has the 5 boys heading off into the woods for a weekend, while Isla and I go shopping or chill at the beach!