Anniversary trip - wrap up

So we had a few sprinkles on the first night of our camping trip, but since the previous two weekends we had thunderstorms and downpours, a few sprinkles didn't phase us too much.  Here is a picture of how our campsite looked:

We woke to a mist and cold again.  Bacon, eggs and coffee/hot cocoa warmed us up.  We got a tip from the ranger that Split Rock Lighthouse opened at 10 and charged admission but if we went before that we could walk around the grounds for free.  Now we couldn't go IN to the lighthouse but we just wanted to see it anyway.  So we made the 7 mile trek (by mini van) to Split Rock Lighthouse State Park at 9:00.

Super beautiful.....

We then took the trek down to the beach....which is always free and were a little disappointed because we could barely make out the lighthouse from all the mist.

Can you see it?

Getting better.....

So we spent the next 45 minutes climbing rocks, skipping stones and hunting for agates....which we learned from a ranger program the night before formed inside cooled lava bubbles.  Andie found tons of them and kept asking to keep them....so a good talk about the whole "leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but pictures" part of a state park.  But if anyone knows of a good place to hunt for agates when they are NOT in a state park, etc....let me know.  We have a girl who is crazy about rocks and would like to have one!

Picture of the two ladies who love rocks!!

Anyway, as we played the mist began to clear!!

Split Rock State Park did not disappoint, but it was time to go back to Gooseberry.  We stopped on the beach to picnic since the sun was finally out and it was feeling good!!

Caleb and I then went back to the tent to nap while Craig took the older two kids exploring and I am glad HE did because he is much more comfortable perched on top of rocks with two kids than I am.  I get a little stressed and start grabbing arms, etc.  They all made it back to camp in one piece though....

Then it was time for me to take them out and Craig to rest.  This is how I roll on an adventure:

No cliffs to fall from here kids!!

We made boats to "send to sea".  Here is a picture of Andie with one of her many sea worthy creations.

Isaac decided to help his out a little and use a stick to push it out....

Isaac's pic of me that day:  Happy in the sun!

The afternoon was met with more hiking and waterfalls but we were all getting a little tired at this point.  One of my favorite moments was that evening when we were sitting around the camp fire and we gave the boys some string and Andie made herself a dandelion rope.  They played for an hour with those simple toys using the outdoors and their imaginations.  Loved watching them while Craig and I sat by the camp fire and just enjoyed each others company.  

An early bedtime and an early morning in which we were supposed to make pancakes BUT the McDonalds Golden Arches just down the street sounded too good to resist....so we didn't.

All in all....a wonderful, tiring, beautiful, busy but laid back 10 year anniversary trip.  We got in the van to go home and we were talking about our last camping trip (before kids, 8 years ago) to the Tetons and Andie shrieked "we're going to the Tetons now!!"  I mean....she was ready to go that second to the Tetons.  So I know they loved it but I was glad we were only a few hours away and not a whole days drive at this point!