Tuesday, August 25, 2009

The kids first camping trip!

Two weekends ago we went camping with Tim and his family. It was a perfect outdoorsy, nature experience for sure! There wasnt any specific camp site. It was just a gravel road that you drive up and thru a canyon and pick a spot you like. We were lucky to find a spot where someone before us had made a fire ring and had some wood stocked up.

We got there early afternoon and noticed some clouds coming in, so we immediately gathered a TON of wood and layed a tarp over it just incase it rained. GOOD CALL on our part because that night IT POURED!!!

{Check our the amazing view in EVERY direction!!}


{This is our stock pile of wood...}


The kids just LOVED being outdoors and able to run til they couldnt run anymore! Koop especially loved being able to pee wherever he wanted. Kaylee didnt like it. at. all!!! She got nervous of any and every bug on the ground. I had to completely clear every spot and had to hold her up and help her squat. This is one of those times where it would'v been convienent to be a boy! Besides that I think they all had an awesome time!


{Me and Kev setting up the tent}


Luckily we set the tent up just in time for a few storms to come thru. While Kev stayed out to keep the fire going the kids and I played in the tent. We enjoyed some yummy foil dinners and fruit snacks til the storms blew over.


That night Tim and his family met us up there. We had some scruptious smores, sang a few songs and played a few games by the fire.
{Sweet Ali trying to keep warm by the fire}


{Madison, Kaylee, Brooklyn and Kollin keeping warm too}


>Making smores. Boy- those storms made the temperature DROP fast! It got pretty cold after the sun went down.




All of us by the fire. We see these guys a lot but it was super fun camping together!


Little did we know what was in store for us later that night!! It was almost perfect timing; we got into our tents about 10 and almost immediately it started raining. Well this rain soon turned into DOWN POUR and then turned into HAIL!! Then it got FREEZING. I cant caps lock or bold that word enough to explain really how COLD it got. Kaylee had 4 blankets on her, Kollin woke up in the morning with hand prints between his legs because he was cuddled up so tight all night and I didn't see Khloe's head come out of the blankets the whole night. So, needless to say none of us got any sleep - but that's expected on camping trips. It was the family time we got to spend together that counted right?!

Well we made it thru the night and Kevin finally gave up on the sleeping thing and got up before the sun came up to get our fire going again. Very soon after that almost everyone was out huddled around it trying to warm up.


I know this isn't the safest and healthiest thing but Koop and Jaxon figured out that if you breath in the smoke from the fire you could turn around and blow it back out. What?? That really sounded confusing huh:) Well, it soon became a game for everyone!


Our campsite was right along a river that was dried out when we got there the night before and when we woke up there was running water. Every direction was a perfect picture!.


{Me and Kev}


There's never a dull moment when our two families get together. As soon as the sun came up we went on a hike up a MOUNTAIN. Once again I caps locked that word only because I dint want you to take it lightly when I say MOUNTAIN! This was no beautiful view hill - this was a leaning forward incline up a MOUNTAIN. What are we seriously crazy doing this with 8 kids 7 and under???!!! They were amazing! I think we complained more than they did and they were the ones begging to go higher.


Well we made it and check out the view from the top!


Sweet Ali was exhausted from just watching:)


We got back down - most of us slid on our butts (yea-it was that steep) and enjoyed some hot dogs before we headed back home.


Well, we survived...I'm so grateful to be living in an area where we can share fun outdoor experiences with our kids and family. We've made so many memories living near cousins and I'm seriously loving EVERY minute of it.
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3 comments:

Stacey & Kyle said...

Wow what an adventure!! I "think" I wish I could have been there... as long as I could have slept in the car. :) What troopers you all are!! Next summer, we'll be ready. Let us know :) I haven't camped since good old girls camp!

Kristin and Carlos said...

Chrissy...You guys continue to amaze me at the things you get the motivation to do. I don't know how you do it, but looks fun. Miss you guys.

Debra said...

A wonderful thing to do with all the energy the kids as well as parents have. Wish I could have joined you, but I did enjoy reading about it and seeing the pictures! Love you all.