#4 Camping Adventures

We had a great time camping this summer.

St. George is too dang hot to camp anywhere around here, so each time we headed up Cedar Mountain to find a campsite and 20 degrees cooler weather. 

Cooler weather we found! Cooler weather and RAIN.

One of our trips we brought along our little niece, Ellie, and picked the one night with severe rain advisories to set up camp.

The skies started off clear. So we set up camp and went for a little hike to the Cedar Breaks National Monument. I had no idea it was even there- it is beautiful!

We made it back to our camp ready to start a fire and roast our hot dogs and smores. . . just as the rain started! 
We tried and tried and tried to start a fire, but with damp wood and paper, and our mediocre fire skills, total failure!  We even lifted the picnic table up and over the pit, hoping to keep it dry for a minute- double fail.

So, at 5:00 we were banished to the tent.  With only snacks to eat for dinner, and a whole night ahead of us to entertain three kiddos. Uh. . .

Storytime!  We busted out trusty 'ol Rhoahd Dalh, and Matilda. 
Porter apparently wasn't amused by the s tory, and Ellie was not amused by Porter's hands all up in her business.

The best part of the night was when Porter and Ellie fell asleep while I was reading the story.  Ellie woke up an hour later (so 6:00 at night), and told us she had a really bad night last night, and barely slept at all, and that she was ready to go home.  Sorry Ellie, the night hasn't even begun-poor thing.

Porter entertained us all night with his re-enactment of Sandlot and telling the story of 'The Beast.'  (I'll save Porter and his obsession with The Sandlot for another post)

Camping with kiddos is so fun, but so exhausting.  Ammon and I can hardly remember the days when just he and I would go camping... ahhh, going to sleep whenever we liked, and sleeping all night in a quiet tent, and not having to threaten, manhandle, and curse at the mini-tentmates trying, hoping, and praying they will eventually fall asleep.

Seeing kids sleeping in a tent may be one of the most beautiful sites in the world. :)

We made it thru the night (barely)- and even had sunshine in the morning!

Sunshine and DONUTS. 

We are pretty lame when it comes to camping.  No fancy foil dinners and elaborate breakfasts are ever made at the Malufau campsites.  We are all about cheap hot dogs and gatoraid for dinner, and donuts and OJ for breakfast. 

Ellie and Scout worked on their Junior Ranger packets all night and morning, and were able to turn them in and get 'sworn in' as Cedar Breaks Junior Rangers. 

So cute seeing them raise their right hand and recite the pledge to protect the National Park. 

The rain held up until just as we started cleaning up camp. . . and then it decided to DUMP on us. 

Of course.  Makes for good memories. 

Well, good memories, and a super muddy car on the ride home.