Boys' Night

Dustin and Braden went on their first Father/Son camping trip. They took off after naps on Saturday and came home mid-morning on Sunday. They had to make a few stops along the way to get necessary items (a ball glove for Daddy, pez for Braden, and a borrowed air mattress from Uncle Nana since we're not quite sure where ours went) but they finally made it to Beaver Dam State Park near Carlinville. Braden had a BLAST. He got to do all of the activities he ever wanted to do: fishing, walking in the dark, making smores, eating junk food, and sleeping in a tent. I'm sure this is the first of many future camping trips for my "boys." Here are some pictures Daddy and Braden took to document the occasion:

Braden by the tent. I'm not sure why he's holding a stick.

Self-portrait by Daddy and Braden.

A view of the lake at Beaver Dam.

Braden fishing. They didn't have much luck, but he did actually touch a real worm.

Playing baseball. There was a good size clearing for them to play Braden's favorite sport.

Cooking smores by the campfire.

I asked Dustin if Braden thought these were good. He said he lost interest after a few bites and only wanted to eat the chocolate bar...so Daddy let him. No wonder he didn't go to bed until 11:30!

Braden's new pet - Wormy. Don't fret. It's just a fake lure with the hook removed. It is now one of Braden's favorite toys.

Waking up after a night of sleeping in the "wild."

Here's a close-up of Wormy in case anyone wanted to see his dark brown lines. I'm sure you were all waiting for this one!