Geocaching = Modern Treasure Hunting

I know... sounds confusin and foreign at best, but really it is just a worldwide game of treasure hunting. You would be shocked to know how many ppl are participating! And generally, it is inexpensive and totally fun. All you need is the website and a GPS unit.

My first attempt was in Historic Brattonsville. My parents, the kids and I went for a "quick trip" to look around find some treasure and make it home by noon. No such luck. Now I konw that our GPS is not as 'detailed' as the compas type that my friend, Amanda uses... but at the time, we tried for 3 hours to find the first part of the cache which would lead us to more coordinates... of course with two toddlers and 3 hungry adults... we didn't make it much farther... but saw some rams, lambs, pigs, and Belgin draft horses. That was about a month ago.

Since then, I tried an easier cache in a local park with just me and the kids... and SUCCESS! So proud. There was a container hiding in the woods with a pad to write your name and date your found it and little 'treasures' (toys, trinkets, etc). Rylan got an old green army man and Savannah got a glow in the dark star.

Yesterday we went with my GC (geocaching) pro friend, Amanda and she helped us complete the hunt at Brattonsville. 80 degrees, 3 toddlers, 1 infant and 2 miles later, we had found the treasure (an ammo box of trinkets) and returned to the parking lot to eat pb & j and rehydrate! Rylan got a USF Mini plane and SG got a gold beaded necklace. As the game goes, you must leave a treasure to take a treasure so we left a few things for the next group to find.

I really like doing this! I thought it was some sorta weird "yankee" past time when I first hear of it... Of course if the just called it 'a world wide treasure hunt' instead of 'geocaching' it would have made more sense... but as it is, I plan on getting a big glass jar and keeping the treasures in eventually and possibly graduating past leaving old happy meal toys and getting creative!

Here are pics of yesterdays hunt... Notice Rylan's best buddy Skylar. The baby is her precious baby brother, Joel who I painted in utero as an Easter basket this time last year! That was the first time that Amanda and I met (painting her prego belly for her to wear to her baby shower!!) I knew we were going to be fast friends!! But clearly, we weren't the only ones who made friends!

Here is Doodle Bug and Skylar! She let him wear her beads and TinkerBell fanny pack (uh boy) but as you can tell, he only has eyes for her!!

Skylar, Savannah Grace, Rylan and Baby Joel! I wore SG, Amanda wore Baby J and Skylar got carried for the last little bit but Rylan walked the whole way!!!

And after finding a tick on Rylan last weekend after helping Daddy cut grass, we decided a quick dip would be a good idea! So in they all went! Kid SOUP!