Chippokes: First Family Vacation in 6 Years! :)

First of all, we wanted to alert you that the Movie Quote Contest is going to remain open for entries until next Wednesday, May 29 so go ahead and check it out! Even you can only guess a couple, please enter!

As I said, the whole family (minus Daniel who is living/working in NoVa) went camping at Chippokes State Park, which is our first family vacation in 6 years! (And even then it's been 8 years for Sarah and I because me missed the last time, as we were away in New York visiting relatives) We all had a lovely time after the first day and a half in which it rained cats and dogs and thundered half the time. Our tent was the perfect habitat for a turtle, a newt, or any other amphibian or reptile who likes dampness in their bedclothes. :P Not knowing if it would rain on the second full day of camping, we headed to Williamsburg and lolled around there for the afternoon. At the Chipoltes Sarah and I saw two people who closely resembled some of our Romanian friends. Even though I knew they weren't the same people, I still got all excited and happy and bubbly over nothing. ;D

Sarah, Leah, and I had the HARDEST time putting together that screen tent. When we finally got it together, each admitted that logic had totally gone out the window....the pieces were all numbered but the sequence of putting them together was entirely random. Way to confuse us, tent manufacturer!

Chippokes is on the beautiful, moody, stately James River, and I always feel so at home there. I was able to snag a couple hours of complete alone-ness yesterday morning, and read a book, wrote in my travel journal, and wandered along the wild and tangled beach till I came to the far scoop of the bay where the rest of the family was fishing.

There were sweet moments...

And sleepy/grumpy moments...

 And of course, plenty of silly moments.

I seriously look like Dopey.

How attractive! ;)

On the ferry-boat, Pocahontas

I was feeding Levi honey-suckle. His first! He looks so much like a tiny baby frog! <3

Adding initials to the Sweetheart Tree. ;)

On the way home we stopped at College Run Farms for some of their homemade icecream. Best. Ever. Ohmygoodness.

Well, that was our weekend and we're home now with lots looming on the horizon! Have you ever been camping? Where is your favorite spot? Leave a comment and let us know! And while I'm at it, may I recommend Chippokes State Park? ;)