Attention tenting enthusiasts, we haven't completely traded in tenting for RVing. Our compromise when we bought the motorhome, was that we would still go camping in a tent as well as visit my families camp. The RV was not to be a replacement, but an addition. In order to ensure that we went tenting at least once this year, we put it on our bucket list. Summer hasn't even started, and we have already crossed this one off of our list. One of the ladies in our homeschool group set up a group camping trip for us at a local conservation area, the Tiffin Center. I like to frequent this park with the kids, so it was a treat to be able to spend a night there with their friends. The group camping site is where the tornado went through two years ago, and the effects are still very visible. Replanting efforts have been made, and every tree worth saving still bears a white "save me" mark. The trees that were cut down have all been removed, and their branches have been chipped, leaving an impressive 3 foot deep area in some places along the tornados path. We only spent one night there, which was just as well since the children have put holes in both of our large air mattresses by jumping on them, and we forgot our pillows. We had been camping in the RV prior to this trip, and decided to extend our stay by a night, meaning that we had to leave first thing in the morning, drive home, put the diapers in the wash, grab all of our tenting gear, switch everything else that was needed from the RV to the van and be on our way with in 2 hours, stopping at the grocery store on our way there. Hence the lack of pillows. Once there, we set up and moved our vehicles to the parking lot. There were four families total eleven children between all of us. We took turns cooking , cleaning and taking the tribe for walks and just hanging out. The children had a blast with their friends, mostly spending their time playing with dirt and water, making castles, streams and a big muddy mess. It's amazing how happy and at peace children are when they are in nature, surrounded by a "tribe" and able to enjoy simple things. Next stop, four nights at Darlington Provincial Park near Oshawa.

KOA from DJ's perspective

We love our trip. I love it so much that I never don't want to stop camping. I want to live in the RV forever, and to not wash clothes. And I would like to live in the RV forever and ever until we are 200 and dead. So no one can live in the RV when we are dead on the floor. So we won't have to be buying a house. The end.

They may not have to do laundry, but they have to help with dishes :)

KOA from Katie's perepective

Once upon a time there was a pukey baby, that never stopped puking. When we went camping, the baby puked a whole lot of times, I would say a hundred times. Our first night was awesome and good. We love camping, we are going to camp the whole summer. We love the trees and the earth, and we love making friends, even when we go camping, we like making pool friends. We can't stop it, we never want our friends to move, it makes us sad. We will miss Evelyn, Audrey Rose, Issac and Meredith. The end. Tomorrow we will start another story.

Roasting marshmallows over a campfire

Glamping, glamourous camping. What our children call a word sandwich, those that surround us, packing together like sardines, call it the only way to camp. Last night we arrives at the Barrie KOA, this is our first family trip in the Magic School Bus. Set up was simple compared to tenting. Drive in, park, hook up, chase Hunter. There is a park across the road from our site. I have a feeling that much of our time will be split between there and trying to keep Hunter away from there. I have never stayed at a KOA before. Between the pool, the store and the perfectly manicured lots, it is the perfect place for a test run trip in a motor home. Grammy and Pappa came by last night to help us settle in. After their departure, we crossed the first item off of our 'Porty family 2016 bucket list'. We roasted marshmallows over a campfire. The rules for our bucket list are simple; only one may be checked off per day, and there must be photographic evidence and a journal entry to accompany it. Our first night was a cool, comfortable sleep, thanks to the A/C. Our house is lacking in that department, and with the promise of an abnormally hot and humid summer, and with Elijah starting parental in four weeks, we may just live in the RV for most of the summer. I must be Canadian, I only like hot weather when it is accompanied by water to cool off in, and cold beer. Otherwise, I'm happiest on cooler days and I love snow and sweater weather. Throughout this trip, we are making a list of things to add to the RV to make travelling easier. So far it includes scissors, hand towels, a sewing kit, butter and blinds. Before this trip, we started renovations on the RV. The original owner had a cat, and the 20 year old upholstery was making this mama asthmatic. We reupholstered and cleaned every nook and cranny, we bought a new mattress, re painted the back bedroom and bought new bedding. When we prepared the back room to be painted, we took down all of the curtains and blinds. Our next trip to IKEA will find them replaced. but until then our neighboring glampers light will continue to shine through our window at night, illuminating the room like a full moon. Breakfast was a success, and Autumn Rose has been most unhelpful, choosing to sleep away the morning, while Daddy slaved away making breakfast and doing the dishes. The pool will soon be open, and Katie and DJ are eager to stay there all day, showing us everything they learned during swimming lessons. Until next time <3

2016 Bucket List

Porty Family 2016 Bucket list

Visit a light house

Swim in the ocean

Swim across the bay at camp

Sleep under the stars

Roast marshmallows over a campfire

Make a pot of tea on a rocket stove

Spend an entire day on a beach

Go camping in a tent

Go hunting

Make a wild flower crown

Eat a lobster

Catch a big fish

Watch the clouds

Read a book

Learn a song on the guitar

Find a fairy home

Bring the kids to a festival

Listen to live music outdoors

Build sand castles

Do a family building project

Ready? Set? Let's go!