The camping trip...

Last month we went on an overnight camping trip with Brian's sister, Tracie, and her family.  This was Lila's first camping trip because the last time we went camping I was about 7 months pregnant with her... and the jury is still out on which is worse, camping while pregnant or camping with an 18 month old.  We still had a lot of fun, no injuries, and the kids completely wore themselves out playing with their cousins, so I am calling this a successful outing! And I have to give a huge shout out and thank you to my oldest two nephews, Mike and Jeremy-both scouts extraordinaire, who had our tent set up and van unload a half an hour after we arrived! I don't think that my little family could go camping without someone to help us and they did it with such great attitudes. It makes me very grateful for our family.

Brian used to be an avid fisherman, but because of his physical issues it isn't something he's gotten to do very much anymore.  Greg (one of the coolest BIL's in the world) found a lake with handicap access, which means we could basically drive right up to the lake and then helped get Brian all situated with a chair and ready to fish.

Jake and Mike fishing.  All of Tracie and Greg's kids like to fish and were so sweet about sharing their poles and letting our kids take turns.

Like right here, where Josh hooked a fish and then let Evie "reel it in" with some help from Michelle.

Evie and Josh with the fish "they" caught!

Lila, of course, just wanted to throw rocks in the water and was quite put out with us that we wouldn't let her just dive on in.

She was finally entertained by Greg's tackle box and stacking the jars of bait like building blocks...

Our family at the lake! (And photographic evidence that I was there... you can't see it but my knitting bag is hanging off my chair behind Evie. I don't do fish.)

Once the mosquitoes got so bad they chased us off, we headed back to camp for a late dinner and then sitting by the campfire for a little bit. (It is just not camping if you don't end up smelling like wood smoke.) Then off to bed in our awesome tent.  That night could be an entire blog post by itself, so I will leave you with a mental picture of Brian and I, each precariously balanced on the edge of an under-inflated, double-high air mattress so that we wouldn't end up trapped against each other in the middle while it fold in on us like a giant taco... and then I fell off my side which launched Brian off his and onto the kids!  We laughed so hard I was waiting for Tracie or Greg to come out of the trailer and tell us to be quiet!  After several hours of perching on the edge and not sleeping, we tried letting out all the air and just sleeping on the ground.  I think I caught a 20 minute nap just as the sun was coming up...  and then the kids were up and ready to go!

Lila with George and Clancy, whom she affectionately refers to as "gog" or "uppy gog."

This is what happens when you randomly yell to Evie, "Hey! Strike a pose!"

This is what you get when you say the same thing to Lila...

...or this.

She loved hanging out with her daddy in the Lila-sized camping chair.

So did Evie, our little cowgirl.

Jake, on the other hand, hardly held still long enough for me to snag a picture of him. He was far too busy hanging out with Josh and exploring the woods around our campsite.

After packing up and getting ready to head home (again thanks to Tracie, Greg, Mike and Jeremy... and to Michelle and Josh for keeping the kids entertained and out of the way...)  we drove up to see the Provo River Falls.  Lila crashed in the car so Brian hung out with her and I hiked down with the kids to a shallow area they could play in the water for a bit.

That water was COLD! Jake got to be very good at crossing these rocks to stay out of it.

Evie needed a little bit of help with her short little legs.

Josh, Jeremy and Mike waded out as far as their mom would let them go and then had contests to see who could stand the cold the longest! Crazy boys...

It was a very pretty spot with lots of neat rocks for the kids to climb and explore.

Josh and Jake, "conquering" the mountain.

Evie with "Unca Gweg"!

Thanks for letting us tag along on your camping trip you guys, we really had a blast.  That being said, I don't think we will be camping again this year.  Maybe next year when Lila is older and I have figured out an alternative to an air mattress...