Family Camping Reunion

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So 2 weeks ago we got back from camping with my family for our first ever family reunion. It was CAMPING, in JULY and I’m pregnant! Now if you have gotten the sense that I’m a camping, dirt, bug, heat, outdoor kind of gal I’ve somehow given you the WRONG impression of me. I’m a soft bed, shower, air conditioning kind of gal. In all honestly though I actually enjoy most of camping, just not the bugs, excessive heat (and lets face it anything over- or under for that matter- 75 degrees is just uncomfortable for me), dirt and lack of a good night sleep.

I love the beach, water, water skiing, traveling, seeing the sites, visiting new places. I also love nightly (and morning) fires, grilling, cooking over the fire, and love spending time with my sisters more than anything. One sister recently moved from northern Idaho to AZ, so not any closer to me, if anything an extra hour away. She and I try to travel to each others big events but we can’t always bring all our kids with us so some of my kids haven’t seen hers in over a year, before that it had been more like 3 years (when we were in TX). And of course my baby sister moved to UT recently so I’m overjoyed about that! And my folks are still in CDA, ID. This was the first time our entire family had been together in almost 4 years. Way overdue and we were so excited we were able to make it happen (even if it was camping). For the record the rest of my family loves camping- even my husband and kids were overjoyed at the prospect.

It went great, the food (one of my favorite parts) was wonderful, the company was fantastic, the kids got along GREAT and the adults had a fabulous time talking every night! It ended at the perfect time too, we were still having a great time, the kids were sad to leave, and no one had gotten frustrated, too tired or upset.

We arrived Thursday night, set up camp, ate dinner and put the kids (and G’ma) down for bed! Then us adults had a GREAT time catching up. I adore my dad, I am a totally daddies girl (I even call him daddy half the time still) but he’s not really a computer/phone guy. So in person is really the only time to really connect and catch up with him. So by far one of my favorite nights, catching up with my dad.

Friday morning The Reader woke up at 5 am and so she and I got up and got the Hot chocolate started while we waited for everyone else to wake up so we could have breakfast! My sister had crafts for the kids in the morning and once we were all ready to go we went on a fun hike at the Cascade springs. It was lovely, but I got eaten ALIVE by mosquitoes (I’m allergic, NOT fun).

Then Ice Cream, the park, back to the campsite for tin Foil Dinners, s’mores, kids to bed and another fun evening of talking around the campfire. It was great because the first night we were still missing a few family members but Friday night was all the adults. Mom and dad pooped out early and us kids and spouses just talked and laughed and talked and laughed!

Saturday we spent the day at the beach at the Deer Creek reservoir. Sand, fruit snacks, digging, water, crackers, shade, sun, etc… the kids were in heaven and it was a great day.

The guys swam across the lake and back, proving what MEN they were, and then later Bill, I, The Reader and Computer boy swam across. It was so great to be in the water and not feel so HEAVY. Swimming is one of the few things I can still DO. I miss bike riding. ANYWAY, no one thought I could do it, but I DID! And it was so much fun swimming with my oldest two and husband across the lake and back just talking and enjoying being together. I ended up with the WORST sunburn I have ever had though. I was great about remembering the kiddo’s but I guess forgot to reapply my own sunscreen. Ooops! That night I made my favorite tandoori chicken kabobs, corn on the cob and baked potatoes! I think dinner went really well. And as it was our last night we put the kids to bed early, had adult only S’mores and spent yet another night chatting away!

The only bad part of the weekend was the terrible night sleep. My air mattress had a hole in it, so both my hips got bruised pretty badly. I woke up every 45 mins with my hip in so much pain that I had to roll over. Another 45 mins and another wake up roll over moment. By the 3rd morning (the last morning thankfully) I woke up to a shoulder I couldn’t move and my broken wrist (remember from last year) aching. So I don’t have any pictures of that last day, but that’s okay! We woke up, packed up and left.

Feel free to share my projects!