Family Camping Trip in Pine Valley!

Be still my soul....

We spent a lot of time playing by this river.

Austin's bonfire success!!

We spent Labor Day weekend in heaven... heaven on Earth that is ;). Planning a 5 day camping trip with little ones was one stressful ordeal (mostly due to packing a TON of camping equipment into one very little car) but it turned out to be the most wonderful 5 days I could have ever hoped for! Josh had to work and was only able to be there for 3 of the days which left me to buy/prep food by myself, pack by myself, set up camp by myself, and take care of the kids mostly by myself. But once we stepped out of our cramped little car and stretched our legs, taking in a big deep breath of the cool fresh air, I knew it was all going to be worth it :). Austin was so adorable the whole trip, both kids were. But he surprised me with his intense desire to help me! You see, I knew setting up camp alone was going to be a huge task and I didn't want to be worried about where my kids were the entire time, so I gave Austin the official duty of "Campground Firewood Gatherer" and he took it seriously! I wish my phone hadn't died so I could have taken a picture of all the wood he found! In fact, that's mostly what he did the entire trip! He was completely in his element wandering around the forest collecting sticks of all sizes. Meanwhile, Evie meandered around as well, playing in the dirt to her hearts content :). I can't even explain how dirty those two got every day and how much effort went into wiping them down at night before I would allow them to sleep next to me in our tent! haha!! Seriously though, the bath water was black once we got home and took our first bath in 5 days.....

This was my happy place. I wish I could stay in that hammock forever. I wish my kids could stay this little forever. I wish there was a never ending supply of M&Ms and I wish Austin would forever be entranced by The Wind and the Willows :).

Grandma and Grandpa Wiegel were there with us that first night (they rented an RV because Grandpa Frank isn't doing so good these days) and the rest of the crew showed up the next day! We had my parents and their dogs, Briana and her boyfriend (Thomas), along with Heidi and her family! It was so much fun! Sadie and Josh drove down together Saturday morning once they were both done working. I am so grateful to have a Grandma who somehow never seems to act her age! She was so adorable and apparently completely in her element as well! She loved playing with the kids, helping prepare food, and going with us on our walks. The kids love her so much! As do I :)

Not the greatest picture of me, but the only one I could find of Heidi! Hanging out by the river :).

Austin and Evie loved going with Grandpa on walks with the dogs. I don't know who was more excited, the dogs or the kids! haha!

Crazy Nana brings out the crazy in Evie!

Cuddling with Sadie by the fire.

The men sitting around and talking about whatever men talk about :).

We woke up early every day, and we all took turns cooking breakfast for the group. Then we spent our days hiking to the river bank and playing by the water, or playing games as a group, talking and getting to know each other again since we are all so busy these days, or my personal favorite, reading stories in the hammock with  my babies and munching on M&Ms!! :) Austin and I built the most beautiful fairy house by the river as I filled his head with all sorts of fairy tale imagination. It didn't take long before he was building the most extravagant fairy castle those river fairies had ever seen and Evie was right there by his side to help! That was another beautiful memory I will forever cherish. I loved seeing their wild, creative, and mostly naked sides haha! It was such a magical moment to watch.

Baby girl was pretty proud of herself for adding the pine cone fencing!

My little man's fairy castle. Isn't it cool?!!

If I close my eyes, I can still feel this moment. sitting by the river bank on a blanket and watching them work together. Listening to the water splash against the rocks.... perfection!

Those naky bums! Oh  my heart!

Sis gathering wild flowers.

Her hair was always a crazy mess and her skin was caked in mud, but she was sooooo happy!

Grandma was always nearby. She also loved watching the kids play!

We also stopped at the little white chapel that I love so much and got to explore inside! This was the original church built by our ancestors (Robert Gardner and his family) who are buried in the old pioneer cemetery just up the street from the church. It is still being used today so they obviously made some changes and updates (like electricity) but Austin found the secret door that led down to the basement/cellar while we were using the bathroom and my heart was suddenly bursting with pride! A child after my own heart! It reminded me of my trip to Europe when I was always on the search for secret doors and hideaways, which I found and more! My friends were always in awe of what I discovered each day of that trip.... just like I was of Austin that day :).

The spirit of those people who built this chapel is still present. Even the kids were reverent which never happens!

Beautiful.

Happy Explorers!

Inside!

The original pews and woodwork was so beautiful!

Always finding flowers everywhere she goes :).

A picture says a thousand words and luckily other people had cameras that worked! So I am going to let those do most of the talking. Basically this was a trip that I would love to see become a tradition and it was much needed for my nature starved soul. I needed the mornings happily chatting by the fire while eating breakfast, and I needed the days filled with sunshine and fresh air. I needed the quiet solitude of reading with my babies in the hammock, and I needed the serenity of sleeping in a tent with the sound of the river rocking me to sleep while my hubby and I whispered to each other in the dark and the kids snored away after their wild days full of adventures. Take me back now!!!

Roasting marshmallows was a nightly occurrence!

Growing up, whenever we went camping with my Mom's family, we would always find fun rocks and then paint them! This was a fun tradition to pass on with my kids and a wonderful way to pass the afternoon away!

My Mama, little sister, and baby, all hard at work!

Crazy Nana is at it again! "It's the circle of life!" HAHA! Get it?!

Evie is obsessed with her Nana. No joke. Obsessed!

These moments in the hammock were my favorite and obviously the kids loved it too because it happened every single day with the same books and the same candy!

Girl on a mission to find some adventure!

Hanging out with Grandma and the dogs in the meadow :).

Happiness is! There were so many hours of just relaxing and watching. Sitting and contemplating. It was exactly what we all needed!

My babies :).

Oh silly girl! She cracks me up!

Feeding the chipmunks with Grandma and Great Grandma! Those little chipmonks and squirrels were all over the place! We even had a skunk come in the middle of the night and get into our garbage, spreading Evie's diapers everywhere! GRRRR!! I woke up to the strange sounds and thought we were being robbed, so I jumped out of the tent ready for action, just to find myself confronted with a skunk! Let's just say I backed away slowly and went back to sleep haha! )

Reading in the gentle sunlight while rocking in the hammock with my girl. Heart full, arms full, soul happy :).

It was a trip for the books and hopefully one that will happen again next year! It made me sad to think that next year the kids will be a little older, and although that would be nice in the motherhood department, I hate to think that their days of imagination and innocent play will slowly digress until it disappears completely. I don't even want to think about a what life will be like once Austin stops believing in fairies. Not yet.......