This is for you, Kyle!

My older brother once asked Jason and me how much camping we do. Not IF we go camping, but HOW MUCH! He almost had a heart attack when we told him MAYBE once a year, which didn't include the past 3 years. So, this past week is for by big brother, Kyle.

Jason and I agree that the best time to go camping in Texas is the spring. The only thing you really have to watch is the weather, which is not very reliable, but if you can hit it right, you'll have warm days and cool nights(which means swimming and roasted marshmallows).

So, we loaded the camping gear and headed to a State Park. We have really enjoyed Dinosaur Valley in the past because we knew that there was water to play in if we got hot, and some really cool stuff to look at.

We traveled to Waco to visit my parents first because the only tent we own is too small for our family now, so we borrowed a bigger tent. This tent is almost as old as I am and needless to say a little worn. But, it is huge. We really could have set up our tent inside it if we wanted to. It was perfect. Thanks Mom and Dad!

Cailyn loved the open space to run around and check out all the sticks and 'magic rocks'. Jessica was tasting everything she could get her hands on. It was adorable to see them playing in the tent. I was happy to find that they both slept really well.

We saw lots of wildlife. We had a family of cardinals living in a tree near our site and they sang(or cursed) to us each morning. There were lots of dear, raccoons, squirrels, and many other creeping things through the camp. We had a little lost cat that adopted us, and if we stayed one more night we would have had some fine tacos(just kidding--but he was annoying).

Dinosaur Vally State park derives it's name from the fossilized dinosaur tracks embedded in the riverbed of the Paluxy River. We hiked down to the tracks and had to walk across the river to see them. It is really amazing to see evidence of the dinosaurs walking in the exact same place we were standing.

I am not sure that Cailyn understood what she was seeing and touching, but eventually she will. She had fun anyway.
A mile down the road from the park is Dinosaur World--a museum/nature walk with life size models of over 100 dinosaurs.

Jason had the opportunity to feed the T-Rex.

That T-Rex underestimated the power in a protective mother. Let's just say, that was the last person it tried to eat.

They provide a fossil dig for children. Cailyn found many real fossils and was allowed to take 3 home. Jason found some illegally and somehow they ended up at home also(just kidding).