164 pictures..

So in one weeks time I took 164 pictures...really? And the sad thing is that I won't print any of them out...I gotta get better at that.  So as you can see we have an apartment of a tent, which like I said before, Claire thought was great in theory...until she had to sleep in it.

I really don't know what happened or how this picture jumped to the top, but this is the result of my "sweet" girl.  The bugs just loved her at camp no matter how much bug spray we sprayed on her.

After a couple days of camping, Claire and I headed to my BF's house for another couple of days. There we relaxed, swam, hung out, found an old school playgroud(with merry go round and see saws). We also took the kids to a place called Birthday World, which is like a Chuckie Che*se except there are rides...awesome place to hang with the kiddos.
  In the olden days, when my friend and I would hang out, we might go to a club or a bar...the funny thing was that on a Friday night, we were at a place with rides and our kiddos were running around screaming...and the strongest thing we were drinking was a Dr. Pepper.. man...are we getting old....But if you snuck off to the glow in the dark minature golf room,  closed your eyes, screaned out the screaming kids, and listened carefully to the DJ(yes...they had a DJ) play the latest dance music, you might feel your hips start to move, maybe for just a second...until that is Claire found me..screaming "MAMA!! MAMA!! MAMA!!....awww such bliss in that little voice...screaming at me!!!

We got kicked out.....

The camping trip went well...Claire on the other hand didn't fare as well.  She loved camping and the idea of the tent.  She loved swimming in the "cold pool", which is the natural spring that stays 72 degrees year round.  She loved hanging out and riding bikes with her cousins and helping them build a fire.  The bugs on the other hand LOVED Claire.  When I say loved I mean LOVED!!  Despite using two cans of bug spray on Claire in two days, she came home looking like she got beat up in a Tyson fight.  We seriously sprayed bug spray directly on her face, but it didn't help, she got bit so bad that we felt like horrible parents...she looked like she had two black eyes and had bites everywhere, even under where her clothes were.(I'll post pictures later of that).  She was great during the day(typical 2 year old stuff), but the first night she fought us tooth and nail to go to bed. The second night she was soooo exhausted that she fell asleep easily, but had a night terror.  Don't know if anyone has dealt with these, but the cure is to wake them up.  She was basically asleep, but screaming.  I'm sure all the campers around us loved us.  So here I am in a tent, it's pitch black, with Claire screaming and  writhing, my nephews are right next to us, it's steaming hot and I have a flashlight in Claire's face trying to wake her up, prying her eyes open to see if that would help. She started screaming for her mommy, who by the way was holding her.  Imagine...it wasn't fun.  Anyhow after that night and Claire waking up looking like we beat her, we decided to head out a day early.  She loved the day, but we think she might not be ready to sleep in a tent....Anyhow, despite what it sounds like we did have a great time.
     Claire and I have been kicked out of our house so Jon can paint the outside. We are headed to Orlando to hang with by bestie from high school.  I'll post pics when I get back. 
   
**For Claire**
     It's been two years since you were placed in my arms.  It was a day that was filled with so much anticipation and visions of love.  But nothing compares to the reality of being your mother.  I tried to imagine what it would be like.  I tried to imagine what that love would feel like.  But no one could adequately  describe it.  I can't even describe it.  I am truly blessed.  Everyday you amaze me and I love watching you become who you are.  --love, Mommy

Can you believe it?

Can you believe that we are coming up on our 2nd family day anniversary?  Can you believe that it has almost been two years since we became a family?  Can you believe that we survived?  Can you believe that we are celebrating by going camping in the July heat with a 2 1/2 year old and her three teenage cousins in one tent and all the other cousins in the next two campsites?  God help us.....