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We returned from our first family camping trip this afternoon. Our first family camping trip and the first camping trip for three of the four members of our family. I wasn’t raised in a camping family and prior to this point, haven’t really taken the opportunity to camp camp with tent and making your own food, pit toilets, no showers, etc. etc. We had a ball.
A friend of ours organized a family camping trip (thank you thank you Tanya) a couple months ago. Friday we packed up and with the assistance of another family toted all our gear up to the campsite. We have quickly realized our sedan is not conducive for camping. Our campsite was off highway 193 between Auburn and Placerville. Sierra foothills, beautiful country.
Claire was introduced to the world of potato bugs, fire ants, centipedes, and beetles by the boys. She was content to look from a long distance but did enjoy digging in the dirt right along with them. She seemed to be pleased when the girls arrived and she could get away from stick fights and bugs for a time. There were eleven kids on the trip so plenty little ones to keep things entertaining and lively. There were walks, boat rides, playing in the lake, forts, games, bugs, dirt, and marshmellows. These kids seemed to be in heaven.
check out my centipede!
a little snack time
evening boat ride and a little fishing (they didn’t catch anything)
Claire loved this chair set and tried to get as many of her friends to sit with her as she could (it wasn’t even her chair).
Saturday morning Claire woke up, rolled over toward Josh and said, “Daddy, I love camping in the forest with my friends and the marshmellow was great.” You can imagine how pleased Josh was. Sunday she woke up and said, “daddy, change my nighttime undies, I want to go potty in the forest.”
I’m not nearly as uptight about what Conor eats as I was with Claire however, I have really limited his sugar intake until this morning with my very good friend’s husband (who shall remain nameless) offered Conor a powdered donut…sigh. He loved it.
Hammock time for the girls.
The kids played fire department attempting to put out a pretend fire near the fort somebody built.
Most of Conor’s pictures are from this chair because when he wasn’t here he was in the dirt and I was busy keeping him from eating all manner of things that reside in or on the dirt.
Dirt boy, he was so content crawling around and getting thoroughly filthy.
By this morning, the kids were tired…see the zombie look?
Yay for camping, I will definitely do this again.
trying the bottle (he’s not doing too well with that one).
Claire and her cousin Aiden.
Conor and Gi Gi.
Relaxing in the bath.
snoozing…
Claire and Pop Pop watching Kipper the Dog.
awww…quickly snapped for the three seconds Claire would allow this to happen.
I have been looking forward to this visit for months. Janice and I met our freshman year at collage twelve years, several jobs, and a couple of states later, here we are. The last time Janice was in California was for Josh and my wedding four years ago so we were thrilled to have her back for a much more relaxed visit this time.
Ok, so I had to throw in a couple token pictures of Claire.
Outside the YUMMY Thai place in San Francisco where we lunched with my sister.
At Crissy Field for an absolutely goregous and clear day in San Francisco.
The lovely San Francisco skyline.
I love California!
We did our best to give Janice a sampling of the Bay Area hitting part of San Francisco, the east Bay and Napa. Of course there is tons more to see but I was hoping to bait her so she’ll come back sooner rather than later. Mostly our time was spent talking and it was soulful. We reminisced about past hopes and dreams, how we thought life would be. Most of our time, however, was spent exchanging stories about our current day to day lives, challenges, wishes and ambitions. As we used to say when I was an Resident Director, my soul was stirred. It was the retreat I needed to help me focus on what is important to me, my family and my faith and also put action steps to some of the things I want to do.
I am thankful for this friendship and its depth.
The View from Mount Diablo
Strolling with dad at the top of Mt. Diablo
Our friend Katie joined us for wine tasting at Pineridge in Napa.
Josh and I have been blessed to participate in a small group at church over the last couple of years. This past week we had to say goodbye to some dear friends and small group members. Our dear friends Matt & Carmen and their lovely daughter Gracie moved to Washington where Matt has taken a new job. We look forward to visiting them but we will miss their presence here.
When we started with this small group there were five couples and one baby, now there are five couples, six children and a seventh baby on the way for the Nissens. Crazy what happens in a couple of years.
Ashton making a goofy face.
Claire and Judah playing.
Gracie feeding Madelyn
Carmen and Haddie
The ladies of small group and our kiddos.
