Luke's Diary: Our First Camping Trip!

Hi Mommy's Blog Readers!

Today Mommy said I could tell you about the camping trip we took for our first Labor Day weekend! I don't know what Labor Day is about; all I know is Mommy got an extra day off so we got to spend LOTS of time with her.

We got hungry on the ride over, but Mommy fed me as soon as we arrived. That's Uncle Ben's motorcycle in the background...Mommy didn't get any pictures of him this trip, but he was there and it was so fun to see him!

Grammy and Grandpa were there, too. They helped hold us, so we didn't have to sit in the dirt:

The grown-ups made a fire pit for campfires. I've seen fire before at Uncle Ben's...I love watching it...just stare at it, totally mesmerized.

Me and Sissy and Mommy and Daddy had our own tent. Mommy and Daddy bought it used from a friend of Uncle Ben's last weekend. Mommy says she and Daddy went camping in California last summer right before she got pregnant with us, and they camped in her backpacking tent like always, but a friend of Mommy's had a big comfy tent and ever since Daddy saw it he's wanted one. Mommy figured it was a good investment as we'll probably all be car camping--not backpacking--for a few years at least. (Plus, she says, how awesome to get one used and not have to spend the money on a new one.)

And then Uncle Ben and his girlfriend and Grammy and Grandpa stayed in Uncle Ben's camper:

Here's the inside of our tent. We all slept on this air mattress with two sleeping bags zipped together...it was pretty cushy. Mommy says to tell you I'm using the term "sleep" loosely...being in a strange place, we didn't really sleep all that much.

We camped RIGHT next to a pretty little stream...it sounded so nice. Grammy took me and Sissy and put our feet in it. I loved it; Sissy started crying, but I understand...it WAS pretty cold.

Daddy napped me, like he does at home:

There were also these rock cliffs on both sides of our campsite. We saw a marmot on the rocks one morning. And Mommy went out on the ATV with Grandpa that same day and told me they say two big deer--one with fuzzy antlers--and a red fox. She also said the aspen were just starting to turn, with little bits of yellow.

Oh, and Daddy brought our swing. Good call, Daddy!

Our boxers came camping too. Here's Newton keeping the ball away from all the other dogs:

Oh! And Mommy and Grammy took us on our first hike, too! We went on the Colorado Trail, just off of Marshall Pass:

Mommy said that's Mount Ouray, and that maybe we'll all climb it someday:

Sissy got hungry on the trail, but Mommy was prepared, and Grammy fed her a bottle while we walked:

It rained most of the hike...Mommy did her best to keep me dry:

Sissy was in the Baby Bjorn and I was in the Moby Wrap, both of which worked pretty well for hiking. I can't say that we LOVED our first hike, because it was raining and frankly, me and Sissy were both a little bit cranky. But everyone made it back safe and Mommy says we'll try again soon.

Whne we got back to camp, Daddy had made a spit out of willow branches and was roasting sausages. The grown-ups had Smores that night, too. Mommy told me when I'm a little older I can have a Smore too. She said that they are divine.

<<Insert second sleepless night in a row here.>>

And then it was morning and the last day of the trip. Grammy held us and then Mommy held us while Daddy and Grandpa broke camp. (Uncle Ben had to be back so he had left the day before.)

My conclusion of camping (me and Sissy both): We love being outside! Camping was super fun! (Although hiking in the rain is kind of for the birds.)

And Mommy says to tell you her conclusion of camping with two five-month-olds, and I quote: "A lot of work, not much sleep, but sooooooooo fun and worth it!"

Love, 

Luke

Grace in Small Things, October 13, 2011

1. It was a few weeks ago I went camping with my family near Marshall Pass (south central Colorado), but just getting around to looking at the pictures today, and so thankful I was able to go on that trip. I've camped with my husband and my brother and my mom and my dad separately over recent years, but it's been since my brother and I were kids that we all camped together. The pictures above is of some of the aspens. Love fall out here... Here are a few more pics from that weekend:

 

2. Today was the first day I ran into someone I hadn't seen for months and she said, "Oh, you're pregnant, how wonderful!" without me having to tell her about it. I really am starting to show...it's so cool! :)

3. My husband and I had a big weekend last weekend kind of in celebration of our anniversary, but on the actual day yesterday, we did very little. It's nice not to have to feel like you need to make a big production out of something just because it is "the day." We were both so tired and I've been working hard this week and he's got papers due for school...I know this sounds lame but it really was sweet just to go out for a very low-key BBQ dinner and cuddle up at home 

4. I DID get a beautiful red purse as an anniversary gift from my husband. We're doing the traditional gifts, and this year (3rd anniversary) is leather. Love my gift and it's a classic design that will last for years...love that I'll be able to use the purse for a long time and always get to think, "This is what my sweet husband gave me for our anniversary"

5. Yoga and a massage in the same day...I am a happy girl :)

XOXO

Baby's/Babies' First Camping Trip :)

Hi Everyone!

Today I thought I'd share a few pictures from my camping trip this past weekend!

My brother and I met in Seargent, CO, which is off Highway 50 at the Western base of Monarch Pass. This is a great halfway meeting point for the two of us. We went up a dirt road towards Marshall Pass and found this great campsite in the National Forest. There was no one around, which was great, and a stream right across the road for our dogs (left, and the road was essentially untraveled, so no problem letting the dogs run loose).

Usually when I meet my brother to camp we hike and/or hit the hot springs during the day/evening, but right now I'm not allowed to do either of those things, so my brother brought his dirt bike and went riding (right) while I took a super easy walk, read and napped.

So my preferred mode of camping is backpacking, but I'm no snob about car camping (I'm always just happy to get out in the wilderness!), and camping with my brother's pop-up camper (top picture, in the background)) is the best thing ever when you're pregnant (and I imagine it's going to be awesome with babies/young children, too.) By the way, that's our new family-sized Jeep in the foreground (last time I was pregnant my husband had us trade in my 2-door for a 4-door.)

Lots of cows this trip (bottom picture; it's an open range up there). Noisy cows. And my littlest boxer rolled in cow poop the minute we got there...yuck! He and the rest of the dogs slept in the bed of my brother's pickup, instead of in the camper like they usually do.

Gorgeous sunset as seen from our camp (top), and of course a campfire (bottom)...love, love, love having campfires.

We're planning on going back in the fall when the aspen are turning...to a little spot we discovered up the road in this huge aspen grove...should be amazing.

Hope everyone's week is going well.

XOXO

Northern California, Days 2 and 3

This past weekend we went camping with a group of friends in Humboldt Redwoods State Park. So fun, and so lovely to see some of my friends from college and San Francisco days! Some cool things that happened:

• We got to the campground via CA-36, which goes right by Lassen National Park (volcanoes)...the most scenic drive imaginable but so twisty and turn-y and LONG...probably the only time in our lives we'll do that road, but the snow-covered volcanoes behind meadows full of wildflowers and blue alpine lakes were unbelievably beautiful
• Camping under the enormous redwoods was amazing. It smells so good up there, and the trees tower so high...it's amazing to tilt your head back and look. The wind sounds lovely blowing through the trees and sometimes the trees squeak like a squeaky door...
• There was a little path down to the Eel River, which had sandy banks and it was warm down there...cool in the forest...Saturday afternoon hanging out in the warm sand on the riverbank was just heaven
• S'mores in the evenings. Enough said
• And have I mentioned how much I LOVE campfires? I wish I could sit around a campfire every evening...
• Saturday afternoon we played tourist for a little while and drove down the road to a place where you can pay $6 to drive through a tree. It was scary to drive through a tree...there is not much clearance. Also at the drive-through-a-tree tourist trap, there were these little tree houses (above). I sat inside each in turn and I wished I was eight again and had one of these in my back yard. How cute is the little white bunny over the door of the one on the right? 
• In one of the redwood groves we stumbled upon a drum circle, and this is so cliche Northern California but it was actually really magical to be among these enormous ancient redwoods listening to drums. Amazingly cool

Hope everyone has a great week!

XO