mirror lake.

It was another successful camping trip for the Buck-Sharrow clan.  The second annual trip to Mirror Lake State Park went smoothly. We had fewer potty breaks on the way there(compared to last year)and zero trips to the emergency room, whew......!

We headed out bright and early last Wednesday morning. We had less then 24 hours between arriving home from the cabin and having to leave again. In that short amount of time we managed to unpack and re-pack the car(see photo below), do a few loads of laundry, meet up with Emily to do all the grocery shopping for the trip, and squeezed in time to bathe the children. I must say I felt a little bit like super-woman, all I needed was my cape.

And by Wednesday morning we were ready. Well, after we stopped by Caribou for my FREE medium drink(thanks to my summer punch card), and swung by the post office, and stopped to pick up the pillow that Lila managed to throw out the window(yes this was a bed pillow not some little camping pillow), oh and let's not forget about the quick stop at Menards for duct tape after our bin of food flew open while driving(for the record I did express to Josh that I was worried it may fly open). After all of that we managed to make it to the Sharrow's(an hour later)and were on our way Wisconsin Dells(CRAP! Gas, ugh, we stopped for that too).

We arrived at our destination around 5pm(there were a few stops along the way)and set up camp. The kids were CRAZY after being cooped up in the car for half the day. I think it's safe to say that we didn't make friends with all the neighbors camping next to us or the park ranger for that matter.

Our first night went well and the kids were kind enough to "sleep in" every morning which we were very thankful for. This year we decided to camp for an extra day so we strategically had each day planned out.

Grant & Lila...

they're like an old married couple.

Catchin Bugs.

Day 1: Mt. Olympus Water/Amusement Park.

The kids had a BLAST!! There was something for everyone and naturally the water slides were a big hit, especially for Max and Cole. Lila enjoyed a few water slides as well, screaming with excitement on the way down as if she was on a rollar coaster. Max and Josh enjoyed their time on a few of the go-cart rides and even one of the rollar coasters. Max ran up to me after the ride ended saying "I thought I was going to fro-up, but it was SO fun!" Yes, he is his father's son. Unfortunately we did not bring our cameras to the water park so there are no pics to share.

Day 2:

On Friday we headed out for a morning bike ride and later went out on the Sharrow's boat. Lake Wisconsin is beautiful. Again the kids were in their glory being able to swim and play in the sand. The lake was so shallow where we were that you could actually walk across it, from a distance it looked like you were walking on water.

Day 3:

We again headed out on the boat and claimed a spot on the lake. Another perfect day with amazing weather. We were very fortunate not to have any rain during our trip.

Every night we ate AMAZING food! We joked that we eat better camping then we do at home. Of course each night wouldn't be complete without a fire and s'mores so we had that too. Overall the kids did GREAT! They enjoyed playing in the dirt, catching bugs for the bug house(they're favorite a bug named "bucket" yes, bucket), blowing bubbles, and riding bikes. But of course we had the moments of arguing over something, usually a chair. It didn't help that Lila claimed everything as her own and screamed "mine" anytime Grant went near something. Then there was the moment when one of the children(who shall remain nameless)pooped, yes pooped in the woods. Right next to the campsite. When   the child was being questioned as to why? They simply put their hands to their mouth and stated "I'm vewy clever."

Yes, we see the eye roll frequently.

Notice the swelling between the eyes and on the arm? Mosquitos were not her friend.

So there you have it. Round 2 of camping was a SUCCESS. A few sunburns and one too many mosquito bites(Lila took the brunt of them)but we all returned home in one piece. And after 5 days of living outside you really appreciate all that you have waiting for you back at home, especially a nice comfy bed and a shower with hot water.

Home Sweet Home.