Get ready for picture overload from our vacation week at Camp B! Our original plans to go to Bethany Beach area of Delaware were changed due to the corona. But we had a wonderful week in Mansfield at Camp B. Mom and Dad spent a lot of time and preparation to make each day a fun one.

We started with the Camp Welcome that included Grandpa reviewing the rules of camp and raising of the Camp B flag. Kevin designed a camp logo and got the flag along with stickers that we put on water bottles, journals, and lanterns. Mom and Dad got everyone Camp B shirts and the Bethune’s got the kiddos really cool head lamps. At the welcome, the kiddos each opened their bags which also included a book for each of them along with a letter and spending money from Grandma and Grandpa. Pretty grand start!

 

Kevin put a lot of work into pre-building the car wash at home and then later Friday evening he assembled it at Camp B along with help from Rowan and Grandpa.

 

Reid could regularly be round all week long wearing his back pack, that he had filled with his journal and book all while walking around with his headlamp and holding his lantern. Silly kid. The kids played a lot of what we refer to as “hot lava” where they use the stepping blocks to stay off the floor, or lava. It was an awesome birthday gift from the Bethune’s to Reid. Pretty fun entertainment and definitely works their core.

 

On Saturday we had a water day filled with fun at the car wash, a bubble machine maker, and the pool. The kids spent hours in their suits doing all the things. A pretty grand time.

 

Lots of the above activities and the heat then leads to situations like these, lol. Reid has pretty much stopped napping, except for on vacation. That’s what vacation is all about though, right? All the kids enjoy sitting in the family room recliner from time to time. Sometimes there are even 3 or 4 of them in it! Reid and Greta spent a fair bit of time together.

 

Another fun outdoor activity was squirt-gun dying t-shirts! The kids each picked the colors they wanted and shot and their shirts to decorate them in any fashion they wanted. It was pretty fun to watch and see what kind of creations everyone made. Reid did really well!

 

Like my previous post said, we still find Reid suddenly napping in no particular place. This day he was b-e-a-t and I could NOT get him to wake up. I picked him up, talked to him, walked around, and then gave him to Grandpa!

 

We ate at home each night, rotating through who made dinner like we typically do. Each night we always enjoy some kind of dessert and this night my Dad and I made a trip to the good ole DQ for sweet treats for everyone! Yummers!

 

The kids each brought sleeping bags (because it is camp after all!) and ending up sleeping in Mom and Dad’s newly finished basement together each night. They each had bedside tables where they kept their things like journals, lanterns, water bottles and such.

 

Amy and Andy arranged a heptathalon (I think was the official name?) of 7 different events for the camp Olympics. Complete with registration check in and bags for each kid (and a clever plan behind each kids “entry” bib number), jerseys, disks, and a redemption coupon for treats at the end.  It was really fun to see the kids go through each event. I took a ton of videos but have the pictures here. Lots of smiles had by all and it concluded with medals and photo ops.

 

I just love this picture of Reid. It is his personality 100%. Mr. Goofball personality.

 

And this perfectly represents Griffin.  OSU gear, athletic wear, getting pumped.

 

 

Another day included an outdoor adventure of hiking at Gorman Nature Center. We went just under a couple miles and explored on and off trail (lol) as we reached a couple dead ends. It was quite a warm afternoon. The kids enjoyed climbing up fallen trees and walking on a tension line. Ironically, we didn’t see much nature in the form of animals there. But a lot of ferns and other plants, including loads of poison ivy. Happy to say though that I do not believe anyone got it!

 

Another fun activity was a lesson on botany followed by a trip around the yard, over the bridge, and to the play pen area where each of the kids got to choose a colored planter. Next, they took turns choosing hens and chicks and they each planted a planter to take home. Another fun keepsake!

 

The evening of hiking was also a cookout followed by s’mores and camping for Kevin, Andy, and the kids. They all set up tents in the side yard and then later after dinner and dessert (and catching lightning bugs) off they went in the dark with their headlamps to their tents. It ended up being a great night weather-wise for camping out with cool temps.

 

Next adventure was an afternoon of mini-go-karts, go-karts, and putt putt at the Infield in Lexington. Now this was quite a toasty afternoon, yikes! But that worked in our favor in that it was not really very busy and made for decent social distancing. Reid, sadly, was too young and small to both drive the mini-go-karts or be a passenger in the full size ones. So he played a bit on the playground and then sat with Daddy in the shade and watched Griffin and I do the go karts. We broke up the putt-putt into a group of kids, which I chaperoned because, well, Reid and the adults. Reid did surprisingly well and had a lot of fun. He even got a hole in one! It was technically a do-over, but a hole in one nonetheless. I was a bit worried as while we were there he began to have a really runny nose and for the next 24 hours he had a runny nose, but then it disappeared. So we wrote that off to camping outside and sinuses.

 

Later that night Kevin and I enjoyed a date night at the Phoenix Brewing Company patio. It was perfect patio weather and a nice couple of hours sans kids. We walked around the block but being a weeknight nothing was really open so we headed home after grabbing a bite to eat at the Taco Bell drive thru, lol.

 

Throughout the week the kids spent plenty of time making magnet creations, playing all kinds of games, and just spending time together. There were a couple days I literally barely saw Griffin very much!

 

On your own day we spent going to Kingwood Center and walking around, including a trip down the new Storybook Trail. We looked a many flower beds and plants and again, enjoyed getting out and doing something where there weren’t many people. Afterward, we went to Target where I took Reid in first, by himself, for him to choose what he wanted to buy with his spending money from Grandma and Grandpa. He chose a fun automatic car. Next, I took in Griffin and he already knew he wanted Pokemon cards. He is currently Pokemon obsessed. Kevin was on a work call in the car!

 

Back at the ranch it was more water play.

 

Another fun activity one afternoon was assembling and then painting wood crafts. Mom and Dad had carefully chosen something fun for each grandkid, something that suits their likes and personality. Reid was given a semi truck and Griffin a Jeep. They definitely took some time to put together, but were super cool and the kids did a great job painting them. Reid took a lot of time and sat there for probably 40 minutes painting!

 

Movie night was Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in the basement (in a box, if you’re Reid).

 

And then, pretty quickly, the week was over. We all put on our Camp B t-shirts and Amy took our Christmas Card photo along with photos of each family and Mom and Dad with all the grandkids. A short bit later the camp flag came down and was signed by each of us. Then camp was over! The Bethune’s headed home later that afternoon and we stayed one more night and went home on Sunday. We ended up getting a replacement computer for Mom and getting that all set up before we left.

It was a fun week full of a lot of great memories! We’re thankful for Mom and Dad’s generosity and hospitality in having all of us for the week. Cheers to Camp B!