Happy campers

Brian & I packed up our tent, rounded up the pups and joined our friends Tony & Nicole for a three-day camping trip at Cross Timbers State Park. We couldn't have asked for better weather: warm, but not stifling, with sunny days and cool, clear evenings, which showcased the amazing display of stars.

We weren't exactly roughing it. We did sleep in tents, but the one Brian & I brought had enough room for our full-size air mattress and floor space for Dakota & Lilly. Unlike our last camping trip, when we canoed about 18 miles along the Illinois River near Tahlequah, Okla., we didn't have to fit everything we brought into our canoe! So we toted along many of our creature comforts.

This weekend, we spotted several scorpions around our camping site, which freaked me out. But the few ticks we encountered caused more of a problem than the scorpions. This evening, I did a bit of research and was relieved to learn that the scorpions we saw where the centruroides vittatus species, whose venom is relatively harmless to humans and whose sting usually might feel like a bee or wasp sting.

Hiking was on our agenda, and we checked out the Overlook Trail (our favorite) and the Ancient Trees Trail, pictured here:

We spent plenty of time in Toronto Lake, and Dakota & Lilly were expert swimmers thanks to these spiffy doggy lifejackets that helped them float in the water, allowing them to swim for two to three hours at a time. (Please note that Brian arranged it so that Lilly transported his squirt gun.)

Among the highlights was watching the fireworks at night and seeing one incredible sunset:

It was a great way to spend the Fourth of July holiday. Hope yours was great, too!

When we arrived back to Wichita, we had dinner at my parents' house. Amanda & Kurtis were in town, and Jen & Ryan came over for dinner, too. It was the first time since our February family ski trip that we've all shared a meal together. What a blessing, especially considering all that my family has been through this summer.

Now it's time to get some rest before the week starts. My crew is dog-tired: