An Impromptu Camping Trip

My fathers work hit and unexpected hault when some parts were backordered, so he and my mother decided to pack up the tent and head out camping for the week. They called me and work on Monday, laid the guilt on thick, and somehow convinced me to go. I dashed home and did a literal 15 minute packing job, scooped McKenzie up from the babysitters and we were on our way!

We went to Boulder Mountain, up an incredibly bumpy and steep road (it took us over an hour and half to go 2.5 miles) but were rewarded with a remote campsite, no neighbors, good fishing, and 5 lakes within a mile of our tent.

We spent the days fishing, eating camping food (why does everything taste better when eaten around a campfire?), exploring, hiding from the thundershowers, riding the 4wheeler, and just having fun. McKenzie had SO much fun! She was a wonderful little girl, even if she was covered head to toe in dirt (which my parents delighted in seeing, knowing how much I hate sticky hands and smudged faces)

McKenzie had fun fishing. She played on the shore most of the time, and would help us reel in a fish when we hooked one. She also got to ride in the inflatable raft with Grandma and I, while we fished. One evening while my parents were out fishing on the lake, I fished a little from the shore with her. Not getting any bites, I gave up and sat down with her to play in the dirt. After a few minutes, she pointed to my pole and asked if she could fish. I threw out the spinner and was going to appease her by letting her reel it in empty a few times, but she surprised me by catching a nice cut-throat on the first cast.

The picture above is of a fish McKenzie and Grandpa caught and cooked for breakfast. It really freaked her out to think about eating a fish - let alone touching one.

She's going to hate me for this picture later, but I have to brag a little! Not one accident! Do you know how much nicer it is to go camping without diapers? Maybe one more trip this year, and then maybe again in two more years? I am excited for the new baby, but the thought of diapers is a little depressing right now, especially after a great week!



McKenzie is in love with the 4-wheeler! Especially when she gets to ride with Grandma Jodi! Big hills still make her a little nervous (so does thunder and smoke, but thats a whole other story)

On Thursday we moved camps closer to Lower Bowns reservoir for a change of scenery. McKenzie loved all of the pinecones and wildflowers in the meadows near our camp.

Grandpa doesn't know that I got footage of him on camera, but I couldnt resist taking this picture from afar. My dad was helping McKenzie pick a bouquet of wildflowers for my mom. Awww!

Here's the bouquet, just before Grandma arrived back at camp.

Surprising Grandma

McKenzie was playing with my camera this morning and took this picture. I thought it was an intertesting perspective. Oh my little photographer!

From my camp chair, looking up.

The cool air was so comfortable. It was so relaxing just to sit and enjoy the fresh air - without sweating! Of course, the scent of bug spray was a little bit of a trade off...

I made my dad stop at one of the scenic lookouts - where he was snubbed in French by some snooty tourists! (True story.) I wish this picture did the view justice! The change in scenery from desert, to pine forest, to lake, to red plateaus amazes me. We truly do live in a beautiful place!

I have too many pictures of the red plateaus I took outside of Torrey. Isn't it amazing?

Since Cris had to stay home and work, I havent seen him since Sunday evening. I was hoping to catch up with him tonight, but some major malfunction at work called his attention to the night shift this week, so he left for work about an hour before we got home. Someday I'll get to see hubby. And someday McKenzie will tell him all of the things she's been dying to share with him. For now, I am in a mad rush trying to get the laundry done before work starts in 9 hours. And I may take another shower just to make sure the campfire/bug spray/fish scent is completely gone! It was a great week though. I have a wonderful family and loved spending time with them. So much so, I slept 4 nights on a dinky little blow up mattress in a tent while being quite pregnant. Tell me I'm not a devoted daughter/mother! Ha! :)