Camping!

I can't believe we made it happen! With crazy summer plans and campgrounds that seem endlessly booked we thought it may not work out—but hooray that it did! We stayed one way too short night up at Tanners Flat in LCC and it was beautiful up there. We camped on June 21, the very longest day of the year (made it hard to spot too many stars as it was still very light at 10 pm) My YW and I are heading up there for girls' camp in a few weeks and it was good to scope it out ahead of time.

We took our whole crew up to meet my parents who had spent the afternoon there and they had dinner all ready for us. Luke was fun up there for about 10 minutes and then I was eager to get him back to Nanny's for bedtime. It's just a baby trap everywhere up there with the dirt, uneven ground and lovely, but all too tempting stream! The babe just wanted to be IN all of it and had a ball exploring but I felt best when he was safe and clean in the tent.

 View of the table from a tent window

Joseph took the babe to his parents' and put him to bed while the rest of us cleaned up dinner and wandered around the whole campground. Then it was time for a fire and s'mores—lots and lots of them! Of course my dad put his handy-dandy Swiss Army Knife to work and carved us some perfect marshmallow sticks. It was a surprisingly cold night for the end of June—I think the high in the valley that day was only in the 80's so the canyon was really crisp (so glad we packed the kids' winter hats!)

The next day we woke up so dang early (that sunlight!) but played in the tent a bit, made a big breakfast, and then I was off to grab Luke so that Ruth Ann and Neil could make it to their morning shift at the temple. We tried to play a bit longer but Olivia had a cousin birthday party back down the canyon that day, and in all honesty it takes just as long to clean up as it does to set-up—if not longer! Especially with lots of littles :) But the big kids stayed in the canyon once we were packed and went for a cool hike with Joseph and my parents. I need to get back up there and do that one myself—they went for a few miles on the Red Pine Trail.

It was a fun glimpse into what we can do as a whole family once our baby is bigger. We do love camping and want to make a longer stay of it next time—all that work warrants at least 2 nights!

I had to include this funny morning picture. 

Livs' face...for sure how I felt after a cold and restless night :)