Labor Day Campout

Warning!  Picture Overload!  I meant to break this up into several posts, or edit the number of pictures, but I'm tired, so I'm just throwing the whole mess up here so that I can be done sooner.

Our traditional Labor Day Campout was strange this year.  Many people who usually come were unable for one reason or another, several came late, some only stayed for an evening.  The family dynamics were different and it made for a more intimate camping trip.  I got to spend time with family that I hadn't really spent a ton of time with before and the kids played with cousins that they usually don't get a change to spend as much time with when there are more people there.  Overall it was lots of fun!

 Our car is not big enough to fit all of us, our clothes and our camping gear, so we sent our tent up with the Schofields.  We were the first ones up, and there was little to do but play with each other and stare at the baby.

 So, stare at the baby we did...

 Once our tent showed up, there was more to do.  We started with their tent.

 JB's was the easiest to put up.

 The kids just ran around while the rest of us tried to be productive

 Ethan got a new we're-going-camping-today-gun. 

I swear that kid has a new toy every time I see him - and I see him a lot...

My kids are deprived.  They're lucky if they get a new toy on their birthday.  I give them lots of trash to play with though!  Old boxes, rusty tin cans, pvc pipe...  Maybe I shouldn't dwell on this...

 On to the camping trip

 Aunt JB was a welcome sight after being left alone with just her parents (and the baby) for an hour

 She even got to help put away the tent bag!  

 Of course, no one volunteered to help the men put up the more complicated tents...

 We were too busy playing

 and splashing in the water

 and sliding down hills

 and climbing fences

 and splashing through water again

 and running

 and climbing on logs

 Yea, you get the idea.

  Way too much fun to stop and do actual work

 With the kids gone, and the menfolk working, it was time to stare at the baby again

 She's kinda cute when she laughs

 Grandpa and Annie testing out the tent they just put up.

Emmie Sue found the sand toys

 Jason found the fire pit

 He really wanted to help build a fire

 What are sand toys without a sand pit?

 This was new this year.  I've never seen a sand pit here before.  It was a great addition to the fun though.  The kids were almost never out of either the sand or the water.

 Cousins playing in the sand

 Shelly had a hard time staying away from the water completely though

 Guess the tent works...

 Then suddenly everyone found the sand pit!

 Cousin It & Ethan

 I think I've seen this thing with a face at some point, but somehow it never shows up in pictures.

 These kids are super distracted.

 At least they're having fun

 Maybe we should see what's going on in other parts of camp...

Ahhh!! 

 It's contagious!!

 Chillin at the fire pit

 There was a deer that showed up in the parking lot.  Mark and I had gone for a walk to see a beaver dam in a stream just up the road a bit and happened home just as this little guy was making an appearance.

 He was a curious little guy.

 Even started walking towards us, until a kid on a scooter in a nearby camp startled him off.

 And, back to the water...

 Somebody's throwing stuff...

 Have we seen her face yet this trip?

No, I don't think it's over there...

 Nor do I think it's up there either Jase

 Oh well, we'll continue the hunt another time.

 The Wilkersons showed up to play on Saturday.  It did not take them long to find the caterpillars.

Nor did it take them long to put in on their face.

 Tickles!

 And then they shared.

Daunine is a champ!

 And somehow Jason finds technology while camping in the mountains...

 Look!!!  A face!!!  Who knew?

Apparently she got hurt somehow.  

 I have no idea how or what happened.  

 I'm not sure I even knew about it until I saw these pictures.  I could be wrong - it's been a long weekend and my brain isn't working right...

 It's nice to have awesome family who help with these things!

Grandpa and Aunt JB seem to have done a great job!

 A scooter!

 And a skateboard!  All sorts of fun things to do!

 Like walk back to camp from the bathroom with Jason.

 And eat whatever that is.

 They buried Shelly, and then put her shoes about 3 feet beyond where her feet would be, so she looked tall.

 It was a group effort.

 At least it appears as if she was a willing participant.

 She needed help getting out of there.

 It's alive!

 I see legs!

 Hmm, Somehow this part always gets forgotten when the idea strikes.

 At least she was wearing a hood that kept the majority of the sand out of her hair.  

Her clothes might never recover.

 These two had a great time together!

 Wow.  Grandma took a lot of baby pictures....

 But then, I'm the one who put them up here.

 So, maybe I shouldn't complain... :)

 Shelly and Nanon had a lot of fun playing some game they made up.

 I have no idea what the rules were, or the point 

 But they sure enjoyed themselves.

 Jason loves playing with his Daddy

 Mark seems to enjoy it too

 It's getting dark, so it's hard to see - but there's Uncle Lynn (the Provo Fire Chief) and his wife Aunt Donna.  They are usually the first ones up here but they showed up late this year because he was getting some sort of scouting award (I think it was something about a beaver, but I could be wrong about that)

 Hi Grandpa!

 I did not know these were in here - I just stole pictures from Elaine's camera and found some super cute pictures of JB and Ethan.  There were many cute ones, but I felt a bit weird looking at someone else's family pictures too closely, so I just grabbed one of the first ones that looked cute and gave them some privacy (of course, then I shared the one I found - somehow that seems to contradict everything I just said...  Strange)

 The kids had a blast on this hill - their clothes are proof of that.

Ethan is getting good at throwing a football

His catching is also improving

This is Andrea's baby.  Her husband is in Belgium and she's waiting for her visa before she can join him...  He had to be in the country already before he could apply for hers.  He got his for school and thought it would only take two weeks for hers, but it's been almost a month so far.  She's hoping it comes soon...

Shelly is a goof ball.

Jake and Janie - she's adorable! (about the same age as Emily)

More caterpillars...  They are a hit up here

Cooking breakfast!  Left over hot chocolate on the table - it is so cold in the mornings!  Mark is flipping our pancakes, Uncle Lynn is cooking some eggs and Aunt Elaine (not mother-in-law) is getting some bacon going.  I love breakfast in the mountains!

Annie woke up happy.  We forgot to bring a bassinet for her, so rather than let her sleep on the hard frozen ground, she slept in her car seat.  It worked out rather well, especially since we were just shy enough on blankets that we wouldn't have been able to keep enough both underneath her and on top of her and all of the kids warm.

We really do enjoy having her around.

Uncle Lynn on the grill

Emily and Grandpa getting the fire going

Shelly wanted to play with the bugs too

We brought him home with us...

I'm trying to not throw it away every time I walk by it

She would be so sad...

Emily found some snacks

Ethan had a moth land on his shoulder!

Not quite sure how he feels about that.