Big plans

I am taking my kids on their very first backpacking trip this weekend!

I'm so excited and so is Olivia. I think Jamie and Jimmy could do without it but no one gets to be a party pooper at my party! (Some people have been know to find this trait of mine annoying).

We are going to 4th of July Lake in the White Clouds. It's a super short hike (1.5 ish) and if we get there and decide we want to keep going then there is another lake 1 mile away and several more another 3 miles.

Last night Olivia and I spread everything out on the living room floor and double checked that we had everything we needed. She quickly caught on to the fact that we were carrying all of this stuff on our backs so we wouldn't be taking any stuffed animals or Polly Pockets. My favorite part of the conversation was when I said, "Nature is the toy, honey. We are not bringing toys."
Whatever the hell that means but she totally got it.

Later on she said, hoisting Jimmy's sleeping pad up off the floor, "Mom, this is heavy, maybe we shouldn't take it." Hehe. Priorities baby, priorities.