Camping

I had been aching to go camping and with a quick text out to my family the plans started. My mom and I drove up to Timpanooeke to try to snatch our favorite family camping spot but it was taken :( We drove around for awhile looking for something else but we just weren't quite satisfied with what few spots were available. We had been in the car for several hours with Asher and Tyce who were really doing great. We stopped at home but then before getting out of the car we decided to go ahead and drive up Payson canyon. Not the same big mountains, lots of shade type camping but we found a spot big enough for the family with room for kids to go exploring. We texted everyone to start packing up their tents and sleeping bags! Yea!

 Playing games is one of my favorite parts of camping!! 

It's always a lot of work to pack for camping but it's always so worth it! Tami and fam ended up coming for the days/nights and going back home to sleep and Kacy's family ended up coming for Saturday and left after dinner that night. Deborah's kids weren't sleeping so great in the tent so they went home at bedtime on Saturday night. But my mom, Charlie and kids and my little family stuck it out for the two nights and had a great time!!! My boys just love being outside and being with cousins. I love so much about camping (relaxing family time can't be beat). And I'm pretty sure Kevin enjoys camping, too :) So camping is a great getaway for our family.

Always so handsome :)

Saturday afternoon we drove down the canyon to hike the Grotto. It's just a little "hike" to a little waterfall but it's pretty and great for the kiddos.
Tyce fell asleep in the car ride down and didn't transition well to the back pack. I carried him for a very short time then had to pass him off before I passed out :) He refused the back pack and wasn't pleased to be on Kevin's shoulders at first. He eventually calmed down but didn't share many smiles. Poor, tired boy. It's hard to be cranky in the mountains though :)

Rylan is always so so so happy when we're camping. I think it's a combination of being in nature and being with his two best cousins/friends!

Adam was letting Finn use the hatchet on this old tree stump so of course the other little boys wanted a turn. All that wacking scared me too much. 4 years old is too little to be playing with things like that!

It's so fun sleeping in a tent :) Tyce looked so warm and cozy and was layered up with lots of blankets. Asher's just a goof!