A Camping We Will Go ...

A camping we will go, hi ho the dairy-o,

a camping we will go!!

Sorry, I couldn't help it! ;o)

Well, obviously we went camping this past weekend. It was absolutely fantastic!! We had so much fun! Sophie went with us & she did really well - amazingly well considering it was her first camping trip with us. There were a lot of firsts this weekend. Eric & I have camped many times, just never together. I'm a believer that if you can put up and take down a tent without throwing things at each other, you have a pretty great relationship. Putting up a tent (especially the one we took - the 20 year old one I camped in as a kid) requires a lot of patience & communication. Go us!

So without further ado, I give you Camp Carlson! Pretty impressive, isn't it?? ;o) Even Sophie liked it! It got a little scary at one point when she got excited & decided to rub her face along the walls & the bed like she does at home. I guess she didn't realize that the walls would be so flimsy in our new home & she hit the tent poll, knocking it down. You can guess what happened next ... the back end of our tent collapsed with us inside!! I couldn't do anything but laugh as Eric ran out to fix it. Then Sophie decided to get outside & get a whiff of the new, different smelling fresh air. She was very well behaved & stayed close to our site even when she wasn't on a leash! Then ... after our long walk through the entire campground, she thought it would be a grand idea to "christen" our site. She made a big ol' poopie right in the middle of our site! I know this isn't the sort of picture you usually see on blogs or websites, but Eric's face is priceless so I had to share it ... even if you can't get a good look at him. It was hilaaaaarious!! Trust me on this one. (the glowing ring around her neck is her reflective collar)

So after all that excitement was over, we (excuse me, Eric..) built a fire, had dinner & went to bed pretty early. All that fresh air made us, especially me, tired!! I didn't realize just how cold it would get & I ended up fa-reeezing throughout the night even though I had on 2 shirts, PJ pants, 2 pairs of socks & a hat! Even Eric was cold - now that's saying something!

The next morning we made coffee with a percolator ... it took forever! Really, it did - we waited at least an hour for a cup of coffee! Next time we are bringing the trusty ol' Mr. Coffee. I don't care how much Eric protests!!!


(Did you notice the action shot of the leaf falling? That's talent I tell ya!)










We spent the day reading, fishing, laying around & chatting with other people on the campground. One couple even let us tour their Eco pull behind thingie. It looked tiny on the outside, but was surprisingly roomy on the inside. Of course, now Eric wants to add it to the top of our list of things to buy before we go camping again ...

That night Eric roasted weenies & we had weenie wraps.
For dessert I had s'mores ... Eric wouldn't join in with me. He much preferred taking pictures of me looking like a goof instead.

Honey, do I have something on my face?

Eric brought along glow sticks & at first I was thinking he'd lost his mind or something, but he had a really great idea. He connected 3 of them together & then we put them around Sophie's collar. Ta-daaaa! Now we could see Sophie at night. Well, kind-of. Below is an example of what we could see ... but it was really helpful when she decided to go exploring during a late night potty break. (Don't worry! We took the "necklace" off when she was in the tent with us so she didn't chew on the glow sticks or anything.)

Sophie by day

Sophie by night ;oD

It really was a wonderful, relaxing time. I'd recommend Blanco State Park to anyone. They don't have a whole lot to do, but if you're going there to relax, read & nap that won't bother you one bit. Their bathrooms are clean & completely daddy long-leg free (major points there from me!!), the park rangers are friendly & helpful, the trees are beautiful & there are a lot of birds to watch & birdhouses to peek in. The only down side is the fact that there is a highway close by that can get a little loud. I only noticed it twice, but if you're going for real seclusion, it may bother you.

If anyone is looking to go camping before it gets too cold, we're trying to make it out one more time before the end of the year. Let us know & maybe we can plan something together!

Thanks for reading!

Happy Anniversary to US!!

Woohooo! One year down & 49 to go until the next giant celebration, right?? ;o)

Eric & I celebrated our first anniversary over the weekend. We had a really great time - however, I had a little too much champagne. I can't help it ... I love mimosas!!

I was sick most of last week, so we postponed our "real" plans for another weekend. We spent this weekend at home reminiscing about the whole wedding experience - all the planning that took place, the actual day & everything in between. It's amazing how much you plan & how quickly it's all over. It's almost sad.

We also talked a lot about our honeymoon to Hawaii & discussed what we'll do the next time we go. We made mini-plans for this year - kind of like you do on New Year's Eve, but these are plans & goals we plan to accomplish as a couple. We spent one afternoon driving around looking at houses & dreaming. It's one of our favorite past times & this time Sophie went with us. She's great in the car & really enjoys the wind in her face.

So, it wasn't one of those crazy, whirlwind weekends, but it was just what we needed: some time to slow down, take inventory of our lives & truly be thankful for all we have. It was an absolutely perfect way to spend an anniversary. We'll do the tiring, whirlwind kind of celebrating another day ...

Here are some pics from our special day, one year ago. Enjoy!

Sophie the Dog

For those of you who do not know, Eric & I have added to our brood of animals. We now have a 2 1/2 year old black lab named Sophie. She came to us from Las Lomas K9 Rescue & Adoption Foundation in Floresville. We don't know a whole lot about her background ... we do know she was found under a dumpster with a litter of puppies. She was skin and bones, but all of her puppies were chubby & healthy.

Soooo, what exactly is a Sophie Dog?

It was said by a dear friend of mine that a Sophie Dog is "an unexpected creature that frolics when she thinks no one is looking". This has become a very true statement. As she comes out of her shell a little at a time, only certain people are "allowed" to witness it. I think she even surprises herself sometimes. She'll be bouncing all over the place & then stop suddenly to look around as if to say, "Was that me??" It's really funny.

From what I've read about shy dogs, it's normal for them to take 3 steps forward & then 2 back. This is also the theme in Sophie's little life. I read an online diary written by someone fostering a shy dog. The posts were both amazing and inspiring. I'm hoping to document some of Sophie's major accomplishments & hopefully inspire someone else who may have a shy dog.

Here are some pictures I snapped of her frolicking before she noticed that I was watching & some of her just being her cute self.

Enjoy!

Sophie's first day home

Gettin' cozy in both her beds at the same time!

Pouty face because she had to get out of the water

Having a blast with Aislynn, Molly & Maggie!!