Camping in America

I'm having a horrible time cutting down the pictures from our US trip - so I might drag out the one post into a few categories... and the first thing we did after we got to America was go camping.

Finn was AMAZING on the flight over. I can't believe how good he was.  It was an 8 hour flight during the day and the seatbelt sign was on the entire time so we couldn't get up EVER (though we did, once, for a nappy change).  He played, read books, coloured, watched the films, sang songs - and stayed in his seat happily the WHOLE time.  I was so worried about travelling alone with him, but I didn't need to be.  He seemed to know that we were on an airplane and therefore had to sit still, and so he did.  I got so many compliments after the flight about how good he was.  Which is good because I think people were a bit worried when we got on!  He did cry once, when it was naptime and he couldn't get comfortable - but that only lasted about 10 minutes and then he was asleep.  He was great in the airports for the layover, and on the second flight - and all the return flights... he's just so so good at understanding when he can be crazy and wild and when he can't.  Amazing.

But anyway, the flight was good, the jet-lag wasn't too bad, and the first thing we did was go to a campground.  At first it was just my Mom and Dad and me and Finn but we were joined by my sister's family that evening and stayed for four days.  It was an excellent time and I have so many pictures!  Here are just a choice few:


Finn loved the fact that the campground had a train!  So we went on a little ride one day:

He also loved that his cousins brought their little car for him to play with.  He LOVED that little car and spent a LOT of time in it (much to the dismay of Caitlin who wanted just the tiniest of turns every now and then!).

(I love that picture!  It's like he's bored wating in traffic!)

He loved hanging out with his grandparents and having lots and lots of walks and exploring time (including a trip through the woods to the side of the highway to look at the trucks going past... all the amazing things the campground had to offer, and Finn was super excited to see a road!)

But most of all he loved spending so much time with his two beautiful cousins Caitlin and Dakota:

He had SO much fun with them and loved being around them as much as he could. We did lots of fun things together including trips to see some farm animals, swimming, more swimming, playing at the park, riding bikes, arts and crafts, and playing with some fun fake snow that I brought along. They were so serious with their scooping and stirring!  It was brilliant to watch them, AND it kept them busy for a nice long time :):

And of course after all the excitement there was a lovely bed in a campervan for a snooze.

 

All in all it was such an excellent time.  I had been getting a bit stressed at work just before we came over and there was so much to do on the flat all the time, and then packing for the trip and it was all go, go, go... and then I get there and we're at a campground with no phone, no internet, nothing pressing that I needed to get done.  Finn went down for a nap and my first thought was "I'm so tired, but I need to use this free time as much as I can!"  and then realised that I didn't.  There was nothing that needed done, no one was waiting on my decisions, everything was taken care of.  And I could do whatever I wanted.  It was like I could all the sudden breathe again!  I got a book, a diet Coke, a pillow and went and read in the hammock and then had a nap.  Bliss.
I didn't realise how much I needed that until I had it. Certainly a great start to the trip, that's for sure!!!


To be continued...
:)