Sylvie is 5: Part II (Camping)

We are taking the year off from birthday parties but turning 5 is BIG, so we decided to celebrate with a family camping trip. While tossing around ideas on where to camp, my dad suggested Thomas' family's cabin in Big Bear. It was a perfect idea, because the backyard is so big and beautiful that it feels just like camping, but there is a cabin right there with kitchen, potties, showers, etc. So Big Bear camping it was. We invited grandparents, Aunt Kim, Uncle Nils and Amanda, and Julie and Logan.

We drove up Friday, decorated with balloons and birthday banners and set up our tent.

Then our friends and family started arriving and there was  more tent set-up, water balloons and backyard adventuring. And then snacks and dinner.

Dinner was roasted hot dogs, fruit salad and s'mores.

This was also a birthday celebration for Thomas, so we started Saturday morning with a candle in Thomas' pancakes.

 

Then  Saturday morning was spent nature walking (pants optional)...

and Saturday afternoon was spent swimming and fishing at the Lake.

We came back for the official birthday celebration of pizza and cake. Thomas took a store-bought cake, scraped off (and saved) the green balloon frosting on it, used cookies and fruit leather to make a campfire on the cake and then re-used the green frosting to write "Sylvie" and "5" on the cake. He is ridiculous.

 

And since it was camping at the cabin, we finished the night with a movie inside before hitting our tents.

Sunday morning started with donuts.

And then the kids had fun hanging out and playing in the area just behind our cabin. It was a good spot for a pretend pizza restaurant.

Then there was one more nature walk before we all headed home.
It was a lovely and fun birthday weekend, we will have to camp at the cabin more often.