Father's Day + Weekend + Camping = PERFECTION

{WARNING: this post is picture/collage HEAVY}

2 of the many ways to my hubby's heart are through camping & food.....AND that's exactly what was on the menu this last weekend! Let's be honest in the FACT that I was not going into this weekend with the best attitude.....I love me some camping but the middle of June & temps in the 90's we're not making for such a great weekend...in my mind! BUT nature always has a way of surprising you & with some scattered rain & clouds we had a perfect tolerable June camping trip! {there were even sweatshirts & blankets involved!!}

Add some friends to the mix & it was a GREAT weekend spent in nature.....just what this family LOVES!

Please don't EVER doubt that you can't leave 10 lb's heavier from a camping trip cause if you're with the right people {with the right equipment!!} it CAN happen!!

I've wanted a Dutch Oven for some time now.....even though I have had {until this weekend} ZERO CLUE how to even use one! Ummmm HELLO endless opportunities!!! From breakfast to dinner to desert....you name it & it can be prepared in this black beauty!

Below: Potato Casserole, Peach Cobbler, & Breakfast Pizza

We arrived a little earlier than the friends we were joining so the girls & I headed off to explore our surroundings! We instantly spotted this poor baby Blue Jay {whose brother/sister had not had as much luck surviving as he had} & my oldest INSTANTLY went into momma mode!

At one point the bird jumped onto this piece of moss that Kayden was holding & after giving each person a chance to hold it we decided the Nature Center was the best home we could provide it!

An, unfamiliar to camping friend, asked me "what do your kids do the whole time they're out there? what stuff do you pack for them to play with?" My answer to her was "nothing"! Minus some sand toys my girls' imaginations run wild in nature! There are pies to be made & baked, trees to be planted, holes to be dug.......

AND Father's Day treasures to be made!

This youngest of mine is turning out to have some patience to see things through till the end & I loved watching that in FULL force this weekend! Like perfecting her bike riding skills & learning a new game {to her} of badminton!

Evenings were spent pretending to be fairies with the help of glow sticks......you could hear "WITH FAITH TRUST & PIXIE DUST" echoing into the night air!

Even in June what is camping without a campfire.....& actually was needed Saturday night!

We met some new friends & Saturday found us venturing away from our campsite & down to the falls for some nature sliding & swimming!

At one point we had to laugh {cause minus our new friends at 9, 10, & 11 o'clock} we were a walking Chaco advertisement

The girls {especially that youngest of mine.....her extra "passion" in life is proving to be helpful in some situations!!} had a BLAST sliding over & over.....LOVE when nature proves to be even more satisfying than a water park!

All the kids were presented with an assignment {the mom of our friends who we camped with is a teacher...Mrs. Musick!} & it was: find a rock in the shape of a heart.....mission accomplished!

That afternoon some rain rolled in & presented itself the PERFECT opportunity for some napping {not pictured!}, UNO, & visiting

Last night around the campfire! We WILL be camping again soon.....when you find friends who LOVE to camp as much as you do & whose kids mix well together you're bound to have many more adventures together!!

Our weekend came to a SCREECHING halt Sunday afternoon but we WILL return from some more summer camping.....maybe even a girls only {or as Mrs Musick called it "girls rule boys drool"} camping trip!