family camping

We did a one night family camping trip to William Heise park. We stayed in a cabin which was a nice thing since it was super cold (into the low 40's at night). It was a nice mini family vacation. The kids had a GREAT time and Dave and I liked it too. It was 100% percent preferable to a trip to Disneyland or a busy city someplace like that becuase the kids can play and do as they please without getting lost or into trouble.

This is our "little house." The kids spent a great deal of time in there, since it was so cold. We arrived around 4 or 5pm and the kids changed into pjs and played in bed.

The kids thought of the house as a giant doll house...the loved being able to adjust the curtians and lights however they pleased.






For dinner we had hot dogs and s'mores

the girls were too busy loving their treats to look at the camera and smile



and then it was bed time...the kids basically put themselves to bed since it was so cold outside.

Clare had to sit out by the fire and wait for the others to go to sleep because she "can't sleep with everybody talking and keeping her awake." She and Dave got to play in the fire for a while.



When dave and I went in to the cabin to go to bed it was HOT. At first I thought it was just the contrast from the very cool evening but after taking off my coat and hat I realized it was actually super warm in the cabin. Someone had turned the heat all the way up (yes, we love camping with a heated cabin)! It was 80 degrees inside! Calvin had already stripped down to nothing, while sleeping, since he was so hot. Dave unzipped the girls footie pj's so they wouldn't over heat!



Clare slept on the top bunk, Calvin slept on the bottom and Lex slept on the bed inbetween and on top of Dave and I. Lex thought that was great and has been trying to talk one or both of us into sleeping with her every night since we got home.

In the morning Calvin got up early (5:30ish) and we played games quietly inside the cabin since it was too cold to go outside. We played tic-tac-toe, hangman, war. Everyone was up by 7 or so. Lex was the last one awake and was so excited to get up in her "new house." Good morning lex!




We had a little fire w/ breakfast.


Then we went out for a hike. At the trail head was a sign about mountian lions. Dave read the entire thing to the kids. As he finished Clare started screaming and saying she didn't want to go on the hike. Sometimes I wonder why he enjoys teasing Clare so much. Does he love hearing her scream? Anyway, Clare was daves close companion during the hike becuase Dave did eventually convince her to come saying that he would protect her from the mountian lions.
The hike was about one mile --a beautiful hike up to the top of the hill and then down again. The kids did pretty well and enjoyed it (until we saw mountian lion paws and scat and clare had another breakdown). Here are some pics





(when I see myself in a mirror or a picture I get a song in my head. You know that song Gaston sings? "so I'm roughly the size of a barge?" Yes, I'm getting big. Dave says I am "so big he can't imagine me getting any bigger." there are times when honesty is NOT the best policy.


After the hike we packed up and went to the playground in another part of the park. We played there, collected lots of acorns and then started for julian. Julian is a little mountian town where they make great pie. For lunch we had home made chicken pot pie followed by dutch apple carmel pie. YUMMMMM.


On the way home we saw a camel dairy. We had to stop and look at the camels a bit. It wasn't open so we couldn't see what a camel dairy actually produces...milk, soap??


This was a super fun and great family trip. The kids loved every minute of it. We decided we'll try to make an annual tradition. The kids hope SCOTT and LANCE will come with us next time!!!!