We just got back from a four-day camping trip, which was to be, in my mind at least, one of the highlights of our American vacation. We did have a wonderful time with my parents and Matthew and Jessica and two of our nieces, as well as their friend Melissa. The thing is, camping is always an adventure. Especially when you have 5 girls under the age of 6, plus of course 7 adults and two large dogs. The high-speed winds that almost knocked down one of the tents one evening provided some action. The girls got to go on their first fishing trip. Unfortunately, the first fish will have to wait until later. We had our first S'mores, and I think we set some sort of benchmark in terms of dirt accumulated on small bodies. We also had the pleasure of waking up one morning being 5 in our 2-person sleeping bag. And I somehow develop stomach cramps whenever I eat a meal involving grilled hot dogs or hamburgers and potato chips.
We chatted around the fire, went for walks, and my girls actually got to play "Duck Duck Goose" for the first time. It was also the occasion for much story-telling, as Alina's favorite line is now, "Mama, tell me a story about when you were little." We're all a little tanner, if you don't count the mosquito bites. (Note to self, lake+low-altitude camping=mosquitoes) Alina tried to set a chipmunk trap and I promised her that if she could catch one, she could keep it as a pet. (Figures I was pretty safe on that one.)
Thomas and I also had an important moment of honesty when, in the middle of the night, he said to me, "Dawn, je t'aime. Je t'adore. Mais je hais le camping." Unfortunate...
Showing posts with label Playing tourist (America). Show all posts
Showing posts with label Playing tourist (America). Show all posts
Friday, July 1, 2011
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
Jetlag
Well, in Alina's words, "Tout le monde fait dodo." (Everybody is sleeping.) Alina, for whom the word "nap" is not in her vocabulary, fell asleep on the couch, and Tassia is sleeping on our bed. I've been trying to figure out a way to summarize our month in the States for those of you who didn't share it with us. It's hard. To start off, let me say that everything I expected was worth it. Only the donuts were a disappointment. I'm sure I'll be posting some pictures from our trip, but that project will have to wait until another time. I'd only just get into it, and one if the girls is sure to wake up.
One huge highlight was, of course, meeting our new nephew Elijah for the first time, and being present (I mean, at least, on the same continent) for the birth of our newest niece, Hannah. (Nathan, it's spelled with an H at the end, right?) Alina had a great time playing with her cousins. They swung, ran through the sprinkler, played camping, went on walks, rode bikes, played in the sand... A good time was had by all. Actually, Alina surprised me on this trip. First, her English vocabulary improved by leaps and bounds. I couldn't even begin to count how many new words she said in that 4-week time. Then, she tends to be a bit shy around people she doesn't know, but she warmed up to so many people there. She became decidedly un-shy about distributing hugs!
It was great to be back at my parents' church. It was great to catch up with friends. Amy's dried tomato and goat cheese-stuffed roast was a highlight, and then there were our two trips to the Chili's in Loveland. We became temporary regulars at the Peaberry's by my parents' house, but still made it to Starbucks once to see Becca! We missed some friends, too, like Melinda who had to make an unplanned trip to Denver during our visit. Somehow, our schedules just didn't meet up. Hopefully we'll catch up with those people next time.
A lady at the playground yesterday heard me speaking English to the girls and asked me (in English) where I was from. I was amused to find myself hesitating, and not knowing what to say. I finally came out with, "Well, I live in Melle..." and then proceded to tell her I came from Colorado. But, it's interesting to feel like home is in 2 places.
One huge highlight was, of course, meeting our new nephew Elijah for the first time, and being present (I mean, at least, on the same continent) for the birth of our newest niece, Hannah. (Nathan, it's spelled with an H at the end, right?) Alina had a great time playing with her cousins. They swung, ran through the sprinkler, played camping, went on walks, rode bikes, played in the sand... A good time was had by all. Actually, Alina surprised me on this trip. First, her English vocabulary improved by leaps and bounds. I couldn't even begin to count how many new words she said in that 4-week time. Then, she tends to be a bit shy around people she doesn't know, but she warmed up to so many people there. She became decidedly un-shy about distributing hugs!
It was great to be back at my parents' church. It was great to catch up with friends. Amy's dried tomato and goat cheese-stuffed roast was a highlight, and then there were our two trips to the Chili's in Loveland. We became temporary regulars at the Peaberry's by my parents' house, but still made it to Starbucks once to see Becca! We missed some friends, too, like Melinda who had to make an unplanned trip to Denver during our visit. Somehow, our schedules just didn't meet up. Hopefully we'll catch up with those people next time.
A lady at the playground yesterday heard me speaking English to the girls and asked me (in English) where I was from. I was amused to find myself hesitating, and not knowing what to say. I finally came out with, "Well, I live in Melle..." and then proceded to tell her I came from Colorado. But, it's interesting to feel like home is in 2 places.
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