Goal #4: Go camping 5 times (4 & 5/5)



4/5 - Ward Campout

Dock Flats near Strawberry Reservoir
I'm totally counting this one, even though we didn't stay overnight. Our ward camped up near Strawberry and our little family stayed long enough for dinner and dessert. We are still hearing stories about how the girls went around snuggling up to everyone and picking food off of their plates. Yep, that's how we fed our girls that night. Every few minutes we'd lose sight of the girls and then find them frolicking with one of the other kids their age. This was my favorite photo, which perfectly encapsulates our evening:
 

5/5 - Uintas

I'm still recovering from this camping experiment. "Let's give it a try!" we said. "They'll be able to handle it" we said. Gah!!!! We took our little family of four and two dogs just 60 minutes up the road and into the Uintas and found a pretty awesome clearing in the pine trees to set up camp. The girls love the dirt and the minute we jumped out of the car they threw themselves right into it. Mac, our mini Aussie, loves poop and the minute he jumped out of the car he rolled himself right into it. (Apparently the previous campsite occupants never learned the proper way to poop in the great outdoors). We spent the next few hours keeping the girls separated from Mac (more specifically, the poop) and away from the axe and the stove and in our sight and away from each other and out of the cooler. Once we found a stream to rinse the poo off of Mac and once we got some food in the girls' tummies, everyone was clean and happy. Our biggest concern was how the girls would sleep, and for the first 2 hours they actually slept great! Joey and I got to read our books and hang out by the fire and enjoy the stars and the yummy smell of the Uinta pines.
So this is how we arranged ourselves in the tent: Joey and I set up our cots and our down mats, with Sadie on a mat in between us on one end of the tent. Emma slept in her pack and play on the other end of the tent. After maybe an hour of sleep (maybe) Sadie started freaking out then Emma started freaking out, then Sadie freaked out some more, and Emma decided she wanted to sleep with me and then Sadie wanted to sleep with me and I ended up on the floor with both girls sleeping ON me and me not sleeping at all and then the girls not sleeping  and maybe by 4 in the morning (maybe) we finally all fell asleep. As soon as we woke up we were ready to go home.
Was it worth it? Yes, yes, absolutely yes. We have to keep reminding ourselves that the girls weren't born with camping etiquette programmed in their brains, and every time we take these girls camping they are learning how to be proper outdoors women. I love dirt and I love that the girls love dirt and I never want them to lose that.









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