Simply the Best

We're home! The house is starting to smell more like a house and less like dirty camping gear, the car is getting aired out and we've all had warm soapy baths so we're starting to look more like city dwellers again too.
This year I thought i'd do an entry a day to share our trip with those interested and spread out the photos over each day with a particular topic, rather than drop all of them at once. If no one else reads this, then I'll have the pictures cataloged for us for years to come. I'll start by saying we had an incredible trip full of blessings on many levels. Hopefully you'll see them through the pictures we snapped. Today's topic is..."What do you and the kids DO out there?"
I have a few friends here that aren't quite convinced of vacation-camping yet. The thought of dragging ourselves all the way out to the mountains where it's cold and windy and dirty, to sleep on the floor, to add more work to our days, to have to hike the kids to the bathroom...I thought i'd take specific pictures to show you unbelievers what exactly it is we do out there...and why it is we go and do the work!









We go exploring...

We go hiking...

The kids get special quiet moments with Daddy. Precious times that are so hard to find here in our busy days...



We go to McDonald Observatory and learn about the stars and planets that God made...


The kids climb trees...this was their "space rocket"...5..4..3..2..1..Blast off!




We take naps everyday...I actually got to watch my babies fall asleep, just like when they were really little...

We play at the park...


We learn how to climb rocks...and sometimes we fall but get back up and learn to try again...

We go for walks...

The kids played with real fall colored leaves...remember the smell of cottonwood trees in the fall?


We make up games like this one. Ryan tied a rope with a cup attached from a tree. We threw rocks at it and learned who had good aim and who had not so great aim...



Leah and Daddy built a rock fort...Logan helped too, but really this was Leah's baby...


The hammock was a big hit. Literally hours of laughing from the kids. This year, no one fell out or got hurt.


The kids are at an age where their imaginations are strong, open to new ideas and willing to think for themselves. One of the great things about camping is that within the confines of safety rules, the kids can do whatever they want! We can always see them and hear them. There are endless games to play and tasks to be done, dreams to dream and roles to play. You know the old saying that the kid has more fun with the box than the toy? Camping proves it. We brought books and crayons and cars to play with in the car...the kids could have cared less about that stuff once we got there. They played with sticks and rocks and leaves and dirt, they caught grasshoppers with their nets...the best part is, it all washes off! It's too cold out there for any dangerous insects so freedom really is freedom!


At some point during each day, Ryan and I got to sit down together and watch the kids play. Even at home it's hard to find time to do that. So those of you camping-doubters...doubt no more! Camping is simply the best kind of fun a kid could ever have!