6th Annual Camping Trip

This year's camping adventure was just outside of downtown Crouch and just over the fence from the Starlight Mountain Theater.  We had a giant campsite with shade just on the edges that we had to chase throughout the day.  We moved the chairs and picnic tables 3 times. River Pond Campground is run by an interesting old man, who takes cash and good checks. He gets around with his riding lawn mower and old golf cart.  There was a pond that was completely overgrown with plants, and the river that was shallow and perfect for wading. Here's a few of the highlight:

• The McClures were the first to arrive.  Their tent was up and the kids had found a shady hideout to play in before anyone else showed up.  Bry and I-guy rode in the back of Grandpa and Grandma's car, with a big black storage bag on top.  The taller passengers had thick black straps obscuring their view or scrapping their heads. Thanks to Brent and Krystle for bringing up all of Bry's gear.  Everyone was loaded to overflowing.  Someone in this family needs to buy a big truck!  Brent, Krystle, and Joe were the last to arrive, but they made it well before dinner.
• Grandpa and Grandma took a drive into town for ice and styrofoam cups.  Crouch has a new deluxe supermarket and a very nice park and library.
• Both Mike and Grandpa hurt their backs earlier that day.  Ibuprofen for both of them, limited movement, and maybe a little less enthusiastic, but they were troopers.  
• Stace made foil dinners with turkey burgers, veggies, rice, and a lot of cream of mushroom soup.  They were super delish!  Everyone cleaned their plates, even Maycee who had to be threatened with no s'mores.  Mike chowed down on a full pound patty with all the fixin's.
• This year's s'mores featured Mounds, Reeses, and Hershey bars.  The marshmallows were giant and the kids were pro roasters.  Thanks, Bry!!!
• We didn't need to sing around the campfire because we could hear the Starlight Mountain Theater production.
• Krystle and Joe were the first to bed. We were low on firewood so we were all in bed by about 11:00 when the show was over.
• Our only wildlife sighting was the little gray camp cat that hung around our campfire and was there to greet us in the morning.
• Before breakfast, Grandpa, Grandma, and Hads took a trip to town for more firewood and another tank of propane for the stove.  (How could we bring so much stuff and be unprepared!)
• Mike prepared hot chocolate for everyone and sliced up oranges.  Brent and Krystle brought everything for our breakfast featuring our traditional omelets in a bag.  Very tasty!  We tried monkey bread in the dutch oven, but it needed a sweeter dough, more butter, and much more cinnamon and sugar.  
• The kids went on their treasure hunt.  There were 22 clues and it took about an hour. Besides candy, their treasure included big glasses, monster slingshot kites, necklaces to make, boats to build, and message in a bottle kits to record their memories of camping.
• The adults sat around working on crossword puzzles and chatting.
• Lunch was walking tacos, veggies and dip, and watermelon.  We had to move the kitchen from one side of the campsite to another just to stay in the shade.
• Everyone except Mike (he took down the tent and loaded up) walked down to the river. The kids got wet, floated their boats, skipped rocks, and splashed around for slow-motion videos.
• Brent, Krystle, and Joe headed home after the river.  This year's youngest, Joe, was amazing.  No crying, no fussing, just chill.
• The rest of us headed to the ice cream parlor in Crouch.  That was a perfect ending to camping - sweet and refreshing.

And finally....I have pictures.

Youngest Camper - 4 months

4 more bites or you don't get s'mores

Happiest Camper

Grandkids - Week 8

Last week's projects and camping did me in.  This week we went for easy.  We had to pick them up in time to make it back to the dollar movies at 10:00 AM.  I thought they would go for a cartoon, but Hudson pressured all of them into Dolphin Tale 2.  There weren't many of us in the theater so even though they wandered around a bit, they didn't bother anyone.

Our next stop was lunch at McDonalds and an hour to play on their playground.  We came home for popsicles, and then, instead of making anything, we had a simple rocket activity.  I had found film containers and we stopped at Rite Aid for a 36 pack of Alka Seltzer.  You fill the containers halfway with water, add 1/2 a tablet, and put them on the ground with the cap side down.  It takes 10-15 seconds before they shoot way up in the air.  We went over to Alex's park to shoot off rockets for about 45 minutes.  They had a great time.

And we picked the peas.  Everyone tried them, but nobody liked them.  It was fun though.

Grandkids - Week 7

This weekend we're going on our 5th annual family camp out!  We spent this day with the grandkids getting ready.

Putting our heads into the sleeping bags.

Building candy campfires.

Huds using a real saw for the first time.

Hads was the only one that cut her own feathers.

He did go home with all his fingers and toes.

Hard work rewarded with popsicles.

Finished cake.  We hardly had room at our campsite, but we all fit around the two campfires.

• First, we went to Marianne Williamson Park and took a hike along the river hunting for good walking sticks.
• Lunch was at our house which meant plenty of pickles, cucumbers, and fruit, plus popsicles for dessert.
• I had a plan for a special camp cake this year, so the kids helped make cake decorations.  They formed evergreens out of green Rice Krispie things made with Special K.  Then we needed all of our faces decorated and our sleeping bags frosted.
• We went on the patio to wrap the handles of our walking sticks with yarn and decorate them with felt feathers and beads.  We made an extra one for I-guy.
• On the way home we sang songs and played I Spy.  

Now we're all excited for Friday morning when our camp adventure begins!

Grandkids Day - Lost Track of Which Week

This was their second week of swim lessons, so we started there.  Hudson also had a cub scout activity so Grandpa ran him over to the church and we picked him up after the girls had their swim lessons. 

• Hudson was the only one in his class that could tread water for 2 minutes, 10 seconds,  without needing to grasp the side of the pool.
• Hadley wouldn't jump off the diving board last week, but once she tried it, she loves it.  She made numerous spectacular jumps during the 5 minutes of free time.
• Maycee is the best floater in her group.  She's up for anything and tries everything - squirt guns, splashing, noodles, and the diving board.

We had a big lunch at home.  They all ate heaping plates -full, mostly fruit and dill pickles. Then we went to Blue Cow for frozen yogurt.  Hadley's cup weighed exactly 16 ounces, so hers was free!  What a deserving winner!  Grandpa filled his punch card and one of the other yogurts was free too.  In the end, Grandpa was the big winner - 5 servings of Blue Cow yogurt with all the toppings for $4.01 - not bad.

 We took a trip to the Barber Park nursery, but I didn't get them shoveling and doing yard work after.  They were a little tired, so we put in Finding Nemo and spent the whole movie painting rock monsters.  They have googly eyes at home, so we took them home blind.  I'm sure they'll be fixed up by next week.  We didn't deliver them home until after six.  I think their mom missed them.

Painted rocks

and the plants from the nursery

Grandkid Adventures - Week 5

For the next two weeks the kids are in swimming lessons.  With their crazy summer in a 2 bedroom apartment and a brand new baby, Stacey hasn't missed a beat.  They're still taking lessons, going to dance, having birthday parties, and acting like everything is normal.  It has to drive her a little crazy, but she just keeps pushing forward.  The house will be finished the week after the kids start back to school.

Here's this weeks itinerary:

• See Brynklee and visit with Stace.
• Go to swim lessons, right across the street from where they're building the temple.  The family home has a beautiful yard with plenty of shade for moms, siblings, and grandparents.  They have a beautiful view of the farmland and foothills too.  They have a big family, and I think the teenagers take turns teaching the lessons.  Huds was first and was learning how to side breath.  Hadley and Maycee have theirs together, except at different ends of the pool.  Maycee finished up by jumping off the diving board.  That was a first.
• Went to Settlers Park in Meridian and played on the splash pad and play equipment.  It worked out well since they were already in their suits.  
• Huds left his shoes someplace at swim lessons, so we went to K-Mart on the way home and bought everyone new flipflops, and that became our activity for the afternoon.
• Had lunch at our house.  Huds ate at least 10 pickles with his lunch, plus cucumbers.  Hadley ate 2 peaches, grapes, watermelon, blueberries, cucumbers, a peanut butter and banana sandwich.  We cut a nectarine for her to take home. 
• I found material scraps and they tore fabric into strips to tie on the straps of their flipflops.  They turned out pretty awesome! 
• They have been participating in a summer reading program at the library and had earned a scavenger hunt at Powell's Candy Store.  We went there and came out with three bags of sweets.
  
  
  
  
  
  

  

  Running around the yard is almost as fun as being in the pool.

  

  They just feel bad because it isn't their turn to swim yet.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  

  Mayce is in charge of pushing.

  
  
  
  
  

  

  Splash pad

   
  
  

  

  Good looking shoes that tickle your feet.

  

  In front of Powell's with their bags of goodies.

  

  We're almost ready to head back to Meridian.  A couple aren't buckled, but it's going to be a pleasant ride because there's candy to eat.