Is it a Campout? Is it a Sleepover? Who Knows?

I am one of four Girl Scout leaders at my school, and a few weeks ago, we took all our Daisies, Brownies and Juniors (15 girls in all, grades K-4) on a practice campout in one of the other leader's backyard. We had tons of fun!

The girls had a campfire dinner, played on the swingset and took turns swinging at a pinata...



They also played a few water games and took a nature hike (ok, ok...I know this isn't really nature...it's just a cornfield, but remember this was all just practice being away from home and spending the day/night outdoors)...



The girls also had to help erect the 5 tents (no easy task...I couldn't even figure the things out!)...

Lucky for us, E is a pro at putting up tents...

We got all 5 tents set up, with all our belongings in them, and were getting ready to roast marshmallows when it happened. What happened, you may ask? Rain, that's what. Lots and lots of rain...and thunder...and lightning. Severe thunderstorms to be exact. We rushed inside to wait it out, but it didn't stop...for a LONG time.

Finally, one of the other leaders and I decided to run outside and start pulling sleeping bags, pillows, bags, stuffed animals, flashlights, etc., etc., etc. out of the tents and bring it all inside for our new adventure...a sleepover! Unfortunately, when we hit the torrential rain outside and were running through puddles to get inside the safety of the tents, we realized something...the tents were not waterproof. All 37 billion things the girls (and leaders) brought were soaking wet. We started running things into the house where they were immediately thrown into the dryer.

Luckily, our girls are flexible and didn't mind having a sleepover in the living room while eating smores made in the microwave and watching Disney movies! And I didn't mind not having to sleep outside on the ground...in fact, I didn't mind the big bed I got to sleep in one bit! Let's be honest, that's really more my style anyways (think Shelley Long in "Troop Beverly Hills"...that's me)!

Here's the carnage the next morning...

See that tent in the middle? The one that looks like it hasn't yet been erected? Well, it had been and that's the one I was supposed to sleep in...

Well, I guess 3 out of 5 isn't that bad, right?

I must say, though, for all the craziness that ensued that evening (and there was A LOT!), I had a blast hanging out with my Brownies, in particular. I was their 2nd and 3rd grade teacher so this campout/sleepover was the perfect way to round out 2 awesome years with them. They were the best. class. ever.

Our New Rides

In the past month, Don and I have gotten ourselves a couple of new rides. We finally decide to invest (ha...invest...they were the cheapest ones Wal-Mart carried!) in new bikes so we could get back on the Monon.

Here they are, in all their glory...



More importantly, we also invested (this one was not the cheapest one at Wal-Mart!) in a new car to replace our gas-guzzling SUV.

Now the question is...which one to take to the grocery store?

My First Wedding Cake Creation

For our final class of Course 3, we had to use the techniques we'd learned to design and create a wedding cake. I had a very clear picture in my mind of what I wanted to do...it didn't quite turn out how I would've liked. I was going for Tiffany box blue with what looked like a string of pearls around each layer. Unfortunately, I couldn't get the color quite right (way too green) and the pearls took FOREVER (but were still lovely).

Here I am rolling out a billion tiny fondant balls. I'm surprised I was still smiling at this point...

Next, I had to attach them all to the cake. Not as labor intensive but VERY sticky...

My final product...

I don't love it (I think because it's not exactly what I had in mind), but I am still very proud of it! Hopefully, I'll get the chance to make more wedding cakes in the future!

A Weekend Visit

A few weeks ago, my mom came down to visit. We headed down to Bloomington to spend the day at Oliver Winery, one of my favorite places in B-town. It is an absolutely gorgeous winery with a ton to see and do.

Here are a few pictures of the grounds...



Don and me...

My mom and me...

More scenic pictures...

I could spend an entire week looking at all the beautiful flowers and animals they have, not to mention sampling some very tasty wine!

Once we got home, we had a nice, quiet cookout. The next day, my best friend, Izzy, and her crew came to town to visit. We had a nice time catching up and eating lunch together (unfortunately, I forgot my camera AND my phone so I have no pictures).

What a great family- and friend-filled weekend!

A Visit to the Past

I know, I know...I am SO behind on blogging. I have a list a mile long of posts I need to put up. However, I'm finally on summer break so I can catch up on these things.

A few weeks ago, Don and I decided to head down to Bloomington for the day and walk around IU's campus. It was great to go back and see all the things I used to see everyday! Oh, how I miss B-town! I absolutely adore the town!

First, we had a picnic lunch and walked around the campus for a bit...

Isn't this the cutest little chapel tucked away in the woods??? It's one of my favorite places on campus.

We let Hoosier take a dip in the creek that winds through campus (since it was blazing hot that day).

Just hanging out, watching H swim...

This dog LOVES the water!

Don tried to get him in this fountain, but he wasn't having it (luckily, since there were a lot of people around)!

Such a beautiful and peaceful place...

Hoosier, however, adored this fountain in front of the music building...

He hopped right in...

Wouldn't go anywhere near this (I think all the noise scared him)...

We headed downtown and walked the square. On our way back to campus, we passed one of my favorite restaurants in Bloomington...Cafe Django. Love, love, LOVE this place...

Since it was so hot, we stopped for ice cream at a little local place near campus. They had a Pup Cup on their menu, and I couldn't resist! I had to get it for Hoosier. He's never had ice cream before so he was a bit unsure at first...but not for long. He dove right in!

It was so cute! They even put dog bones in it.

We had people stopping to watch him eat his ice cream...

After we finished our ice cream, we headed over to Memorial Stadium. I hadn't seen it since the renovations. In the picture below, none of that used to be there. It was completely open and there were bleachers on the ground near the end zone.

Looks awesome!

We took a break in the grass for awhile and listened to the marching band practice out on the field.

He's loving the shade!

My two boys.

Don, in front of the new section of the stadium...

Hanging out with my furry baby...

What a great day! We have so many wonderful memories of the time we spent living in Bloomington. It was great to get back and hang out for a day!