Backpacking at Shenandoah National Park

This past Memorial Day weekend, your dad and I thought it would be a good idea to take you both on your first backpacking trip in the Appalachian Mountains (The Shenandoah National Park, to be exact). We all carried a little bit of weight on our backs, even Scout, and headed in on an 8 mile beginner loop that would take us down to President Hoover's Rapidan Camp. 

 

After an exhausting hike in (about 5 miles, mostly downhill), we found a large campsite next to a nice creek. We set up camp and the kids and I promptly rested for a little bit.

 Dad made a beef stew for dinner and we fell asleep right after the sun went down. The next morning, we noticed that Scout's pads on his paws were all torn up. He limped around for a bit but was able to make it. Genevieve was not too excited about hiking back to the car. I don't blame her after the pretty long hike we took the day before. So we moved like a herd of turtles, stopping every few minutes for water or rest, and climbed our way out.

 Saw this guy at Rapidan Camp

 Stopped to play in the waterfalls

The smirk Genevieve gives when she is having her dad carry her and his pack uphill. Eric you are incredible!

We may have bitten off more than we could collectively chew but WE MADE IT! With our first family backpacking trip behind us, I see some car camping in our future to ease us back into it:)

Keeping Busy

These past few months have flown by (like usual) and we are almost full-speed into summer. Here is a look into what we have been up to:

 Time to bring out the hammocks

 Goofing off in your bedroom

 A long game of following the leader

 Looking at mom and dad's wedding pictures

 This picture sums up this girl pretty well

 And...this picture sums up this boy pretty well, too

 Love his monster feet

 Taking a bike ride at First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach

 Beach time with no bathing suits...oops!

 Y'all don't care;)

 Popsicles!!!

 Evening kayak rides

 Got so many (almost too many) strawberries this year. 

 Bowling is this man's new favorite game

 Super still neighborhood lake 

 You lost your first tooth! And I mean literally lost it, I think you swallowed it.

 Genevieve nailing you in dodgeball

 Friends exploring at the Virginia Living Museum

 Stencils, thanks papa and mimi

 You turned FOUR!!! Look at that smile as we sing for you. We had strawberry cake with strawberry frosting from the strawberries we picked that week.

 We made it to Busch Gardens for a belated birthday treat. We went on your actual birthday which was on a Thursday and it was closed so we went that following Saturday.

 Longest your hair has been and then we went for a haircut right after this.

 Sunbathing Scout

 My boys getting salty on a rocky sail

 That girl and that sky!

 Sneaker the Hamster is always out of her cage.

 Tired babies

 Shout out to your aunt Taylor who graduated from high school and starts at UGA in the fall!

 Cracker Barrel with our favorite cousin, Andrew

There's that Sneaker again!

 You are quite the fisherman

So before I know it you will be leaving the driveway in a real car. Moving on up to the big leagues, little racer.