Camping

This year for our big summer trip, we went camping at the property for a week.  We haven't been to the property for a couple of years so it was good to go back and hang out with the family.

We spent a lot of time just lounging around in the shade, chatting, drinking Cokes, eating snacks, and having picnics. 

The kids also had a great time on the Merry-Totter.  My dad made this teeter-totter that spins over the winter and spring just so he could bring it up on the mountain for the grandkids.  They all love playing on it especially Charlotte and Brooklyn.  All Brooklyn wanted to do was play on the playground.  Emily was a good sport and followed Brooklyn around all day.

This was Brooklyn's first time camping and she loved it!  Well okay not her first time because we did go camping last year but she was too little to do anything.  This year she was old enough to walk around and explore, get dirty, and have fun.  We seriously had to watch and follow her all the time because she would just wander off into the woods or run down the hill and get going too fast and biff.  She didn't even care if she fell because she was outside running free.  She was so dirty at the end of each day.  She really like sitting in the hammocks, washing her hands in the water jug, and throwing rocks in the lake.

One day we went fishing at Deep Lake.  Everyone had their poles in the water and ready to catch a fish.  The water was really low so we though they would be biting like mad.  Sadly, it is just our luck and we got skunked.  No bites, and no fish.  This made the kids frustrated because some guy fishing a little way down from us and so other people fishing around the lake from us were catching them left and right.  I don't know what we were doing wrong but the fish just did not like us.  Charlotte gave up and walked down the bank a ways from us and just started entertaining herself by throwing rocks.  Brooklyn and Logan soon joined.  Emily and Colby were determined to keep fishing.  Then when I got tired of throwing rocks and making sure Brooklyn didn't get in the water, I put Brooklyn in the stroller.  She was not very happy about that.  We finally called it a day and headed back to camp without any fish.  Luckily we had hot dogs so we didn't starve.

Another fun thing to do on the mountain is four-wheeling!  Emily is getting pretty good at driving the four-wheeler except she hits every bump and rock in the road.  If you are riding on the back with her, like I was, you basically get whiplash or a bad back.  I kept telling her to try not to hit the bumps.  She said she was trying but it sure didn't feel like it.  Maybe I am just getting too old...

Emily, Logan, and I rode out to a lookout point and could see the whole world from there.  Well the whole city of Richfield and the surrounding towns that is.  On our ride, we drove right passed this little buck.  He was just laying in the bushes watching us.  We were probably only a few yard away from him and we watched him for quite a while before he got up and walked away.  It was like he wasn't even scared.

Russell took the kids on a big four-wheeling ride with the Hughes's and Grandma and Grandpa.  I stayed back at camp with Brooklyn and Logan.  Logan didn't want to go and we don't really have enough room for Brooklyn and me either.  The three of us had a good time at camp playing games and exploring the back forty of the property.  We hiked the four wheeler trail and found the boys' huts and cabins.  

I don't really know where they rode on the four-wheelers.  They were gone all day and came home super dirty with lots of stories to tell so it must have been fun.

On the 24th of July, Pioneer Day, we took a long road trip to the Morwood Reunion for dinner.   We started the trip in the morning and drove down the mountain in to Richfield.  From there, we took I-70 and drove to my parent's other property on Accord Lake.  I have not been to this property for many years.  I think the last time I was there was when Emily was one.   This is a nice property but it is on a big hill so there are not a lot of trees and camping spots.  We did stop here for a picnic though and it is perfect for that.  My parents are thinking of selling this property but they haven't had any offers yet so they are not really pushing it.  They really hope a cell phone tour will lease it from them and then they can make some money off of it but we'll see.

After leaving the Accord Lake property, we drove down I-70 some more to the Fremont exit (I think) and drove the back way around Fish Lake mountain to Fremont and then to Loa and Bicknell.  I had never been on that road before so it was cool to see some new country.  We made another turn off outside of Bicknell and drove through the mountains to Boulder Mountain.  This is where the reunion was held so we then had to find the campsite.  I was glad we were following my dad because I had no idea where we were or where we were going.  We finally made it to the campsite just before dinner which was perfect timing! 

At the reunion we all got together for dinner.  It was the first time we had gotten together since my Grandma died in May.  It was different not seeing her there but you could feel she was happy we were all together.  I think the only one not there was Mary Ellen and her family.  I thought it was a pretty good turn out.  

Charlotte made some new cousin friends while we were there.  These three little girls (Hattie, Capri, and Charlotte) had no idea they had more cousins their age.  They were fast friends.  They spent the whole night running around together and playing in the dirt.  Cousins are the best!

We drove back to camp that night and it was a long trip back.  We did stop at the Fish Lake Lodge on the way back, though, for our traditional, must-have ice cream!  Emily and Grandma even bought matching Fish Lake t-shirts.

The week was so fun that we didn't want to go home.  I wish we could just live on the mountain and have no responsibilities other than when it was time to eat.  Unfortunately we needed to go home to get Emily ready for Girls Camp and all of the kids ready to go back to school.  Why does the summer have to go by so quickly?