Camping

Well, It's been a while! My camera bit the dust (Trav wondered why I was so amazed, seeing as how I didn't treat it very well, but you know how it goes... trips to the beach... a week(s) at the bottom of the diaper bag. I guess it's a wonder it lasted 2 years.) It's not like we could really afford another one, but a camera is a MUST HAVE in my life. It's on the same level as toilet paper. So Sam's came through with their bottom level, point and shoot, and I'm a happy camper again. HA! I just realized that's very ironic given the first event it captured! 

First, I had to take a "lets see how these pictures turn out" picture.

I wouldn't have posted it except for what I saw in the background.

A big bag of dirty diapers.

So indicative of my life.

We used to use a diaper genie with Collin, but now with the sheer amount that we go through, grocery bags are just cheaper. And it seems I'm throwing out a full one every day (although in reality it's probably every other day)

On to the task at hand! Our ward had a camp out at Seneca Lake last weekend that Trav was kinda in charge of... at least the Elder's Quorum was.... you know, since now that there isn't an activities committee. And none of the rest of his presidency decided to come. So we headed out after he got home on Friday and were cruisin' down the highway when we suddenly saw break lights. Apparently there was an accident. So that stopped traffic dead for 1/2 hour. If we were literally 30 seconds farther along, we would have missed it... but no. People started getting out of their cars. We even saw a few dart into the trees for potty breaks. I, pulled out the camera! Cuz, ya know, now I can.

Now how many two year olds can say they've driven their toy trucks on the I-90?!

I wonder how many miles of cars there were behind us. I kept imagining what all the people driving on the other side of the freeway were thinking! Some would honk their horns at us. Mocking? Saying, hang in there?

We finally reached our destination and even with the stop, the drive flew by. It was kinda nice to just be able to sit and talk to my hubbie for a couple hours. After setting up the Taj mahal (our massive tent I insisted on buying as newlyweds... I hate being bent over in tiny tents) we headed to the campfire. Adrian brought his guitar and some lyrics so we could sing along to a few songs. Little known fact about me... I LOVE guitar music and camp fire sing a longs. I sing way off tune, but for some reason I lose my shame when sitting in front of the flames. Not too many people sang along, but I was grateful Adrian attempted it anyway. Made my night! 

We put the boys down and made it back to the campfire to visit with some friends for about an hour before Weston woke up and was crying. 

Collin slept really well. Didn't wake up once. Not as lucky with Weston. He slept next to me most of the night, which was a trick on an air mattress. And we also froze. I have so many memories of being freezing cold while camping. Why haven't I learned yet? 

While we were getting settled, we could hear Gavin puking in the distance. (He tends to get worked up when he's crying and mad) Poor Doug! He came alone but was a champ with him.

I was so happy when morning came! We were in charge of doing breakfast. I had shopped for 80 people (as many as signed up), but only half that came, so we had lots of extra food.

Yea for the "Elder's Quorum", aka Young Mens. :) Doug and Chris really pulled through for us. Thanks guys!

The kids were quite taken by the missionaries' golf cart. Collin and Katie left with hands tightly clasped and they came back the same way!

After packing up, a few people went down to the lake. I wished I had brought our suits, but I didn't think we'd actually swim. Here's the best I could do with a self portrait on the paddle boat. (Weston was sleeping in the car). The last time Trav and I went on a paddle boat we were dating and went to Tempe Town Lake. The events that transpired are now a funny joke to us, but you'll have to ask Trav what happened. :) Hint hint, porta-potties were involved and for once it wasn't me! Did I say too much?

Collin just couldn't stand that he was being left out of the swimming fun. So Roland was nice enough to take him out to the floating platform. I'm sure he regretted it though. Collin was a maniac, jumping off and had to literally be held back from jumping when it wasn't his turn.

Check out his diaper. With each jump, it just got bigger and heavier, until it hung so low, it wasn't even covering the intended parts anymore. Luckily the Shaws saved us with an extra swim diaper.

We pulled off the highway in Palmyra to get some McDonald's for lunch before heading home. They didn't have chicken nuggets on the dollar menu and it was almost as expensive to just get a happy meal as to order them separately, so we broke down and bought Collin his first happy meal. I was all excited to give it to him and show him the toy, but literally as we pulled out of the drive through, I turned around and he had zonked out. We tried to wake him, but it was a lost cause. He must have crashed somewhere between paying and getting our food. So here is the happy boy with his first happy meal!

Despite the sleepless night, I'm really glad we went. The people who came were a blast to hang out with and it was a fun memory to make... our first camping trip as a family!