Our inaugural family camping trip was unpleasant.

This historic event happened a week ago and just tonight Jessica pulled a tick off a sleeping Lewis. There were so many ticks and even more mosquitoes during our one night camping failure at St. Croix State Park. Jessica and I both agree, we're glad we did and learned a great deal about how to make it better next time. As we were in the tent you could literally see dozens of mosquitoes on the netting trying to get in. And what if you have to pee?! Or take a child to pee?! The HORROR! Out you go and in they come. And what a smorgasbord! So many pasty warm targets in every direction. Our kids looked like they had the chicken pox by the time we got home. So that sucked. But we also had some good fun, playing at a nearby beach and eating junk food. It's so exciting to have an adventure all together no matter the experience's overall quality. Next time we will likely hike to a prettier spot so we're no surrounded by folks with massive campers. And we'll bring harder core bug spray and research which parks have less (as our girls say) "skeetos".

Here are some photos which, as usual, belie reality and make us look all delighted and happy.

Photo by Jessica. Literally seconds after this photo was taken a [probably] poisonous snake slithered up in the water right by their feet.

Lewis' soccer ball finally broke but he still made us of it.

Identical twins!