Summer Beach Camping Trip: Update 6

I'm not sure if these "updates" are ever going to end. The kids have been sick with the flu which means they've been laying down giving me a cleaner house and more time to catch up on things, including my blog.(By the time I had finished this post it had been weeks since the kids were sick and life went crazy again. Including Emmitt getting his second bout of croup this winter. Eeee.)

So here are some of the memories we made camping in Malibu for the week. Most of it is from the beach and not so much the camping part.

Beach Pictures

The Big Swing
Our friend showed us this big swing at the campground. Most people didn't know it was there, you have to hike through some bushes to get there. The kids loved it. The swing was placed in the middle of a steep hill so you had to hike up the hill to get your start and then when you were on the other side swinging you were pretty high above the ground. I was so scared for one of them to let go. But they did great and thankfully none of us crashed and burned. Steve and I were both enjoying taking our turn as well.

I LOVE this picture and hope to never forget how precious the time is with my dirty little boy with those bright blue eyes is.
(Jaron totally sun bleached and tanned from the summer already.)

More Beach Pictures
The cute blond eight year old in a few of these pictures is my niece Gwennie. She often comes on our trips. We love spending time with her and the trips wouldn't be the same without her.

We buried these three, Emmitt, Eliza, and I were not up for the fun. Can you blame us?

Camp Doughnuts
We have some family friends that camp at the same campground as us and we try to coordinate at least some of the same time. They are some of the funniest and nicest people I know. (They also love the camera.)
Kelly

Jaron rolling his doughnuts in powdered sugar.

This is Kelly's son Clay who comes to life when he's around kids. He is so good with them.Here he is helping Jaron out just because he wants to and probably to monitor that Jaron didn't eat them all.

And this is Becky. Well that's her. I just don't even know what to say about that girl.

Oh by the way camp doughnuts are delicious and we always raid there camp site the night they do them. None of the work and all of the reward!

Fourth of July: Update #5

We traveled home from the family reunion in Utah on the fourth of July and got back in time for slip 'n' slides, a BBQ with my family, giving Emmitt his first haircut, and far away fireworks. The kids got to watch in them in their jammies, that's how far away we were.

Funk Family Reunion! Update #4

So we went to a family reunion up near Bear lake in Utah for Steve's family the 1-4 of July.
The way up: Well we had decided to stay the night part way but are pretty spontaneous people and decided we would see where life took us with a few places in mind. Steve was set on hot springs his friend had told him about that are right before Mesquite, Nevada (keep in mind it's JULY). We called and asked how hot it was there at night and it didn't sound so bad. We could see lightning flashing in the sky and prayed we wouldn't get struck. Did I mention we were camping. So OK I'm up for an adventure. Sure what's one night, right?
First off we got lost on the dark, dark middle of Nevada desert back roads. Then when we finally arrived we could hear the coyotes howling very near by and some very unsettling animal noises that we just couldn't place. Then after we made our way across the empty, dark campground to the restrooms we noticed all the beware signs. Beware of the wild animals, make sure you close the door behind you when entering and leaving. OK what kind of animal encounters have happened in these restrooms I wondered. Was there one lurking inside waiting to attack the kids and I. Steve had to enter the forsaken Ladies room with us. The ladies room was a place that he promised to never return after the accidental encounter with it in Solvagne. But this time it was a must. I was being quite the chicken and he had to play hero whether he wanted to or not. Restrooms clear! Feeeew! We all huddled close on the way back to the campsite, pitched a tent in the dark, and tried to get comfortable in the sweltering heat and humidity. Those thunder clouds never hovered over head but between the hot springs near by and the storm the hot dry desert turned to hot and humid. We were miserable. Between creepy animal noises and the heat most of us tried to sleep while removing more and more layers of what we had on trying to stay appropriate since the tent was just mesh on a good portion of the top. The kids were so uncomfortable throughout the night Steve and I kept getting jabbed and kicked or better yet laid on top of by a sweaty baby or toddler. That was the start of our adventure.

Below: Us exhausted and stinky the next morning trying to make breakfast
without the utensils we forgot and trying to clean up. Emmitt still in his sleep suit.

Okay so the unsettling animal noise we couldn't place came from this guy below and his friends .
Can you see the toad in the water?

Beautiful Cache Valley and it's beautiful wild life.

A day at Bear Lake:
Jaron and Eliza both experienced their first rides on a wave runner this summer while Emmitt played in the sand and sat with aunt Debbie (which is amazing because I can't get him to sit for a moment unless there is food involved). The kids had so much fun playing in the shore water which looked pretty gross.

Girls Activity: Tea Party

All I have to say is I believe it must have been Grammy, who is Miss Proper (in a good way), who put this activity together . See Sidney holding her pinkies up the way she has been instructed, yes by Grammy. We were also told we had to have some sort of hat for the occasion.

Boys Activity: Shooting guns

We had a huge Cousins Birthday Party where all the cousins brought gifts for one other cousin. Most of Steve's siblings all live far from each other so this was an opportunity for all the cousins to celebrate each others birthdays together in one big bang. Eliza found one of the bubble guns someone got as a gift.

The Big Race

The start

This is where

Jaron confuses our cheers for him as directions to run to us. It cost him the race.

Emmitt helps out with the finish line.

Papa
"accidentally" trips and falls as the little guys catch up.

Outdoor Fun!
Smores with family and barefoot wall walks.

And a Little Tumble!
The way Steve tells it Emmitt wasn't at all effected by this. It gives me the heebie jeebies.