It was Fall Break in Maricopa- a lame joke in this city that has no fall to speak of. The kids had a week off from school so we promised we'd do something. We had to escape the relentlessness of this desert heat. Summer just won't go ahead and die already. I've forgotten why I like Arizona. Give me a month and I'll remember.
The boys begged to go camping so we indulged them. They wanted to take us to the same campground they went for the Fathers and Sons campout a few weeks ago, a spot near Payson about two hours north of Copa. It was our first camping experience as a family.
Funny thing about camping. It's a series of inconveniences and things going wrong and never being comfortable and blowing black boogers into Kleenex and trying to keep your ears warm in the sleeping bag while never really sleeping all night long and smelling like smoke and dreading the next time you have to use the communal potties that no matter how hard you try not to, you always look down into and wish you didn't.
But it's so fun anyway. We didn't take pictures of the black boogers and the foul toilets. Or the sleeping bag so full of water from a leaking cooler that we had to ring it out and dry it by the fire until 1:30 a.m. before we could use it. Or the bees that swarmed when we cooked (turns out, bees like bacon too!). The pictures and memories we have are just of being together, sitting around campfires, laughing, playing games. No phone, no Spongebob. Just stinky us with cold ears and dirty fingernails. The kids decided this was our new Fall Break tradition.
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| From 2010-10-17 |
Oh, and it turns out, camping with girls can still be fun. We aren't high-maintenance girls. We can wear the same shirt for just as many consecutive days as the boys can.
Take that, Fathers and Sons.
12 comments:
That is what family life is all about. Definitely the good stuff.
We sure missed out :) At least on the fall part, the laughing, sitting by the fire, and listening to cool songs part.
So much fun!
My favorite part was the singing the chorus to a song over and over over. That was the story of a lot people at campouts I went to growing up.Good times
I'm glad you found fall in your desert. Keep that tradition ferr shurr.
And seriously, why are your teeth so white? Do you whiten them or what?
Jenna all the pictures were wonderful but the one of Holland will win awards! It is gorgeous!!!!! Anyway cool pictures and excellent editing. You are AMAZing. I love all of you!
I still can't believe you came up to Payson and didn't even bother to call and say hello.
baaaaacon
You forgot to say that Rafe spilled hot chocolate on my white sweater he was wearing. Took two washes to wash it out.
You packed tissues??? Guys would never do that. They would just give it the old farmers blow. I bet you packed pillows too!
First time as a family? Sheesh! How long have you been married?
Don't let Ev make you feel bad Jenn--the only camping we've done is Cornish. Ha ha ha ha ha!
Luv that first picture where the kids are all sitting on a log looking at Blake with you behind them.
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