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

5th Annual Family Camp Out

Terry and I weren't working and Mike had Friday off, so we made a plan to meet early at the Visitors Center in Idaho City.  The grandkids impressed us by showing up with real shoes on - no flipflops.  It was a camping first.  We broke out the walking sticks we made on Tuesday and I presented them each with a backpack I made for them, and we headed out to the pioneer cemetery.  It was pioneer day, back in Utah, and we wanted to talk a little about our own pioneer ancestors as we hiked around.  

How cute is Brynks!  She borrowed a bandana from one of the kids backpacks.

Maycee was by far the award winning hiker.

Everyone worked up an appetite and Stace had brought a picnic lunch, so we looked around until we found one of the public parks in Idaho City.  It was a great spot.  After lunch the girls put on a performance on the stage, and Hudson found a frog in the creek.

After lunch we made our way to the Grayback Gulch campground and set up tents.  Brent and Krystle came up with Bry and Isaac at about 5:00.  It was time for a good dinner, walkie- talkies, a treasure hunt, and then a fire and s'mores.  Krystle wasn't feeling well, which we're happy about because it means there will be another grandkid camping with us next year, but for this year, they didn't stay the night.  Stace spent the night in their Pilot with Brynklee, Terry and I had our tent, and the guys were with all the kids in a big tent, that suddenly didn't feel so roomy.

  

The McClures had a party to go to in Boise so after breakfast they had to pack up and head for the showers.  We went back into Idaho City with Bry and Isaac to kick around some shops, visit the museum, eat huckleberry ice cream, and watch a shoot-out on Main Street.

It was only one night, but we packed in the fun.  Next year we'll have one more camper and maybe we can stretch things out for one more night.

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!

Good to Be Back

It's always good to get home from camping.  The long soak in the tub, the clean sheets and good mattress are the best.  This trip we came home to more smoke.  The wild fires are so bad and so close that the air quality in Boise is worse than it was around the campfire, but it's still good to be back.

Some of the crew stayed another night, but we wanted to get back and go to church.  I'm glad we did because it was one of my former YW, Melissa W.'s, missionary farewell.  I'm so proud of her and her decision to go on a mission.  She gave a great talk (and had on a darling navy blue dress).  Two other women in the ward spoke with her (her visiting teachers) and they also gave very impressive talks.  Rachel spoke on what makes a prophet and how blessed we are to have revelation.  Her talk helped me get it together on my RS lesson that I've been struggling with.  She bore a touching testimony.  Melissa N. did some powerful preaching!  She was funny and touching and strong - and in her kiwi accent too.  I would have liked to hear more.

Bad Bear Camp 2012

Bad Bear Campground is about eleven miles beyond Idaho City.  We don't know where to go, but we figure if we just keep trying new places, we'll eventually hit upon a family favorite.  We didn't want to travel too far because of the kids.  Add that to the fact that we were late reserving places and we needed to avoid three forest fires, that cut our selections down.

Terry and I and Brent were the first to arrive at camp.  We had so much stuff, Brent had to drive separately.  He was carrying our water jugs and somehow one of the spouts opened and emptied the entire contents into his trunk.  Before we set up tents, he and Terry had to bale out the water down by his spare tire.

Bry and family arrived while Terry and Brent went to Idaho City on a water run.  I got the foil dinners ready even though it seemed too hot for a fire.  Stacey and family arrived and everyone was set up by the time our dinner was ready.  Brent's not big on sweets or anything unhealthy, so it's ironic that he's always in charge of desserts.  As it turns out, Friday was National S'mores Day.  We had a deluxe s'more bar.  I tried sliced strawberries on the s'more, a waffle cone with chocolate chips, bananas, peanut butter, and marshmallows cooked in foil, and a Rolo stuck in a marshmallow and roasted.  It was sickening good.

This campsite offered a babbling brook to cool us down during the day, a mountain trail that we couldn't conquer with kids in shorts, and a few wild raspberries.  We had a visit from a forest ranger who handed out Smokey the Bear information and gave us a fire report.  (The smoke was actually less up there than it was in Boise.)  We set up a treasure hunt for the three big kids, and brought plenty of games to keep everyone entertained. 

This year we had three new campers - Brent, Maycee, and Isaac.  Brent was okay, but I was worried about the two little ones (and their parents).  Isaac ended up being the cleanest camper, and Maycee just followed her normal routine and hung out with everyone.  Now I'm thinking next year is the one that we have to worry about.  They'll both be running around by then.

We ate good food and treats all day long.  When Terry and Brent and I left to come home Saturday evening, we weren't even tempted to stop and get ice cream in Idaho City.  The other two families stayed another night.  The kids wanted to stay 100 days and cried when they had to leave.  When we saw them on Sunday afternoon, they were dirty, smelly, tired, and running out of food. We on the other hand, had enjoyed baths, showers, the Olympics, clean clothes and sheets, soft mattresses, and a good night's sleep.  It was a success for all.  We've made a list of improvements for next year.  Plans are already underway.

Camping Prep

My dad knows how to camp, but other than girls camp, I think I've been camping less than 10 times in my life.  Terry has camped and backpacked with his boys, but he's not an expert.  Somehow last year we decided to be a camping family.  We got together with all the kids and 3 tents for our first annual camping trip.  This weekend will be our second annual trip.

It's not easy when a bunch of amateurs try to round up enough food and equipment to rough it for a few days.  It's an unorganized mess.  I hope we survive.

Start the piles.