browne family camp trip

the browne family decided that the month of october is perfect for an annual camping trip. last year we headed north to Hillsborough State Park, remember that?
luckily chris was able to come along and it made it so much more enjoyable for our little group.

this year we switched things up, stayed a little closer to home, and went to 

Markham Park in sunrise, which is closer to ft. lauderdale.

my dad chose this park because it has all new facilities and some incredible mountain bike trails. seriously, these trails are so awesome that tony hawk rides there. for real, my dad saw him last weekend. so that just proves that even in south florida our mountain biking is legit!

anyway, here are some pictures that capture our great time filled with bike rides (with the kids), playing at playgrounds, messy faces, food, mountian biking, model airplane watching and of course, marshmallow roasting!

you have to watch a safety video and sign a waiver before hitting up the biking course.

its pretty hard core, as alli's legs can prove...

the park had a few great playgrounds that the kids enjoyed.

charlie man was in his element!

it was a little redneck, but chris had the genius idea to hook up a fan in our tent. we slept great thanks to that beauty.

we watched some amazing model airplanes do pretty cool tricks.

whats the matter ellie, squirrel got your buns?

yes, actually, squirrels did rip into our hotdog buns and have a few nibbles while we were on a bike ride :)

nothing like a nap in the car after an overload of camping goodness

this was the first time chris and i have tried mountain biking and we had a blast! i realize it was through the grace of my father in heaven that i didn't crash or tumble down the mountain. it was definitely luck that got me through. this stuff was crazy difficult and if it werent for the adrenaline that kicked in, i dont think i would have been able to do it. but chris was a natural and im sure if i hadnt been there slowing down his momentum he would have been really rockin it! i found a clip on youtube of one of the trails we rode. i walked down the big, steep ramp, but chris took it! we both did the "winding bridge" though and it was SO AWESOME! chris really wants to go again and i think he could get pretty good at it. i guess the next time that my dad, alli & jacob go, chris will have to go along. they are all nuts and will do all the scary obstacles.