Birthday and Hives...not Birthday Hives!!

Michael and I had been planning my annual birthday camping trip for about a month. We were going to hike the Savage Gulf area. We were so excited, awesome trails and landmarks...10-12 mile hikes! Back-country camping! Woohoo! So as the trip approached I started looking at weather forecasts. Not in our favor for the weekend we chose. So we decided to try and go the weekend before, but we were stuck with those kids! Argh. So we decided to go a different route. Since we had the kids with us and I didn't want to stay home, we decided to go to a different camp ground. The reason we didn't go the following weekend was because it was suppose to rain all weekend. I love staying in a tent, but not when it is raining. Heck no. The weekend we bumped it up to was just suppose to be cold. So Thursday night, night before we were due to leave, I told Michael that I thought we should go somewhere with cabins. He was all like Boo, and I was all like do you think the girls will have that much fun in 28-30 degree temps? So we found a state park that had cabins, and that we could actually reserve. Cabins are super busy this time of year!

I found Cumberland Gap State Park. I booked the cabin Thursday night and we were outta here Friday morning. Best idea ever, getting a cabin. We all had a ton of fun. It was rustic, there was a fireplace, two beds, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a tv...with cable. The tv isn't important to us at all, in fact we turned it off when the girls were in bed.

Those girls were tickled with the idea of staying in such a place! I was a little worried about EK and her asthma, it was old and we used the fireplace. She didn't have any flareups the entire time!

Here is a panoramic view of the cabin. There were two beds, one in the living room, and the other in the bedroom. We obviously chose the bed in the living room and I was a little nervous because the beds were high off the ground and I didn't want Addison falling off. She is still in a crib and hasn't slept in a bed. But we found that the beds had wheel and I crammed it in the corner and EK slept on the outside. Worked out perfectly!

Here are the girls the first night, with the fire roaring in the background. The cable line was cut by the ground crews and Michael and the parked ranger fixed it. Before then we had them set up on the ipad and speakers. We brought the fixings for tacos the first night. The second night we had a birthday dinner complete with steaks, salad, and baked taters! Michael doesn't really think about birthday party fixings, just the good food. So Ella Kate was all like, where's the cake?

I was proud of Addison for sleeping in the bed with EK! I know those two are anxiously awaiting the day that they get to do it at home! It did take them about an hour and a half to go to sleep each night, but they had fun playing till they did pass out! I was hoping that Addison would take a nap that Saturday afternoon. We figured if we wore them out enough they would. We walked around 5 miles and came back, played on the playground, ate lunch, and then I put them to bed. They played for about another hour and then were out for a solid three hours! Score!! I snuck in to take a picture of Addison sleeping!

Michael was excited about the fireplace and each cabin had plenty of free firewood. We have always wanted a house with a real working fireplace, so this was super fun for us!

Addison after she woke up from her nap, look at that hair!

She put her own hands in her pockets, it made me smile!

Panoramic view of a huge rock overhang.

This here picture was Michael's idea. This is actually a stone bridge and the road is up above. EK seemed to like it, but Addison, well, did not.

There was a huge lake surrounding most of the park as well.

and a swinging bridge!

I saw this tree from the trail and we had to go look at it. Look how humongous it is!

So we had a great trip! The park was small, but there was plenty to do and see. The cabin was awesome and I think we might actually start trying to do that more and more, when it is cold of course. Our favorite time of year to go camping (Michael and I) is fall, winter, and early spring. We have been camping in the summer, but it is awful hot, and you have to be near some type of body of water.

When we left for the trip, Ella Kate was complaining that her hands were itching. I kept putting eucerin on it and it would help greatly. When we got home from "camping," I noticed that she was having red splotches all over her. I just figured she had dry skin and kept lotioning her up.

The day of my actual birthday, I dropped Ella Kate off at school and Addison and I went home to get ready for her flu shot. Terrible idea, never set up a flu shot for your birthday. I will tell you more about that later. So on the way to the dr, I get a call from EK's school. They were concerned because she had a rash on her face.  I told them what had been going on and they said they wanted me to come get her. So after I hang up with them, I called the nurse line and told them what was going on and she said to bring her on in. I told her our situation and made an appointment for EK at 3:30. So we went to the dr. twice on my birthday.

Also, since Addison got her flu shot, she REFUSED to walk the whole day. She wouldn't even stand! I had to carry her everywhere and when we had to go back to the dr. again that day. Oh lo. Freak out.

Anyways. Ella Kate has hives now. Add that to our growing list of weird  things wrong with that first born kid of ours. She still has them today. I have no idea what they are from. We haven't changed anything. The dr. told me to give her benadryl and claritin. I gave her benadryl for about a week straight and I was ready to strangle her. She is one of those kids that bounces off the walls on benadryl. So I had to quit giving it to her for my sanity. They are better, and they really only flare up if she is mad, or if she has been rolling around on the carpet.

Michael decorated our car.