{annual schwobe camping}

My birthday fell on our annual Schwobe camping weekend this year and it couldn't have been better. It was one of the best birthdays I have had in a LONG time!

Every year, a few of my aunts on my dad's side (the Schwobe side) say that they are not going camping the following year and yet every year, almost everyone comes. This year was no exception. (Although two families were unable to make it, we still had a great time. Also, my sister, Emily, had a friend's wedding to attend and although I know she had a good time at the wedding, we still missed her at camping!)

It was almost the perfect set up for the camp sites. Almost everyone gets a cabin wherever we end up being at and this year the community gathering site was close to everyone and no one had to walk very far to their cabins, whereas in years past, someone usually ends up having to walk a ways away. Also, this year was the first year that my dad's oldest sister and her children (well two of the three) came to camping and I think that they all enjoyed themselves too!

I didn't see Ayden much of the weekend because he was too busy playing with his (our) cousin, Mitchell, who is the same age as him. Because the campgrounds themselves were relatively small, I was not afraid to let those two go biking around by themselves. They did have a pool at the campgrounds, although I decided not to go swimming. It was just a bit too chilly for me to enjoy swimming outside. But, Ayden, and many of my other cousins had a blast in the pool and I had just as great of a time watching them!

My birthday was on Saturday, the only full day that we were there, and it was a lot of fun. I made a yummy chocolate cake for everyone, Jay made his yummy tinfoil potatoes, and I even got to go on a nature hike that was BEAUTIFUL! If you live in the Dells area, you HAVE to check out Parfrey's Glen! The walk (with four of my aunts and two of my cousins) started out on a paved path through the woods that led to a crushed gravel pathway that soon led to us hoping rocks across a small stream and then led to climbing big boulders! My kind of nature hike! After getting there, I knew that it was a place that Ayden would have loved to go as well, but he stayed back at the campsite with Mitch to play, which was fine with me. Beth (one of my cousins) and I were even scaling a rock wall at one point! Too much fun... wait, it was my birthday, can one have too much fun on their birthday?!

It was really just nice to be surrounded by my family on my birthday and to feel the love, haha!

That night, I told Jay that I wanted to go to the casino (which happened to be right down the road from the campsite, I mean we are talking the Dells) to get some free money. I mean, the casino should give you some free money on your birthday, right?! Okay, so they gave me a measely five dollars. But a free five dollars is better than no free money at all. I also was going to spend $20... so not putting in more than $25... I quickly went through my $20 on the slot machines, oops, I am not a very good gambler and then I got pissed because I couldn't figure out how to get my $5 off of my little card thingy. Well, Jay figured it out for me after I pouted for a little bit. I mean seriously, I had my $20 spent not even a half hour after we arrived, lol! And by the time Jay spent my $5 in free play, he had earned me back another $15. I should have stopped there, but I didn't and I blew that down to $2, but then made it back and cashed out with just under $10. I think Jay cashed out with a decent amount of money as well, but we still ended up losing like $5 or $6... not too bad for just playing the slots... at least I didn't think so.

Sunday was pack up day and head home… I spent the rest of the afternoon holed up in my bedroom relaxing and watching TV, it was the perfect end to my weekend!

CIAO! LOVE ME!