looking back: a camp birthday at the ranch

I'm leaving this week to go visit my folks in Nebraska.  

I grew up on a ranch in the Sandhills and every summer the kids and I spend about a month out on the range.  They love it.  Miles and miles of adventure, wide open spaces, deer, horses, prairie dogs, and endless acres to explore.  

I was just looking through my photo archives of our trip last year and I came across these pictures of Thad's sixth birthday that I never did get around to posting (at least I don't remember if I did or not).  It was a camping theme and we had so much fun!  I found a lot of old camping gear around the ranch and I fell in love with an old Campfire Marshmallows tin.  It amazes me that I grew up around all this old cool stuff and I just thought it was junk back then.  My, how things change (or maybe the older we get the more we appreciate the value of age haha)

We made chocolate and peanut covered marshmallow pops, cupcakes in cones, and berry angel food cake dessert.  And my brother and hubby cut out some log sections for me to use as food displays.  I really loved the way it all came together.  The kids had a blast with stick horse races and paddle boat rides.

Legend looks so little in this picture!  And his blond hair is barely there!  He's grown so much in a year!

We can't wait to go back.  

Even if it means one mommy + four kids + one in her tummy on a jet plane for four and a half hours and then an eight hour car ride.  We barely survived last year.

It will prove to be an interesting trip, I'm sure.

I'm packing as many diversions in their backpacks as I can!  Speaking of such, I wonder what the airline's policy is on playdough?   I can already see the cringing look on the airline stewardess' face.

Look out, United Airlines, here we come!