Camping. For Reals.

1. My girls have, officially, camped.

Here is Rudy, last weekend, contemplating the outstanding job that her mother and Mary did setting up the tents, campfire necessities, and sustenance in our One-Night-All-Girl-Campsite.

2. Carly, Rudy, Marley, and Paige were delighted by the novelty of eating yogurt and goldfish crackers in the wild. And there was an actual playground less than fifty yards away from our campsite. (Not so wild, I know. But certainly appreciated.) And they also enjoyed coloring, playing house, running and stomping around, and some half-hearted throwing of playground balls.

3. Before dinner, we went for a short hike alongside the pond, led by the intrepid Marley Bean. When we clambered down closer to the water, we saw a couple of huge bullfrogs, who later, with all of their friends, kept Mary and I up all night while our tiny daughters slept peacefully beside us.

4. And of course, we roasted marshmallows. Here I am, totally in love with Rudy. She is so laid-back and all, "Yeah, I'm camping. And I'm two. Whatev."

5. And in the morning, Rudy and Marley emerged from the tent grubby and adorable. And they both slept through the dark and woodsy night. And that means: we did it! And we'll probably go camping again later this summer, and I am already daydreaming about future summertime trips through hoodoos in Bryce and the Narrows in Zion with Todd and Bean and Toot.