Ward "Camp-Out"

Normally the father-sons outing is a great chance for me to do whatever I feel like doing with an empty apartment void of my boys and husband.  I look forward to it all year long.  I even pack all their bags for them and make sure the door doesn't kick them too hard on their way out. It's a rite of passage to go camping with dad and learn how to use the bathroom in the deep recesses of the wilderness, without mom there to wipe your bottom.

This year, however was a bit different.  The ward decided to do a family camp-out, instead of a father-sons outing.  At the Kelly Canyon ski resort...without all the snow, but not without a raging 'river'.

So we just rolled with it, and decided to camp out ... until Ryan informed me he had to work ... so it ended up being a mother-sons evening for our family.

Everyone was so helpful with the boys.  Two younger couples asked if they could take my two older boys on a 'hike'...up the face of the mountain that I've only ever been down once (the weekend Ryan proposed marriage).  They had a blast!

They're the tiny ants way up top
which isn't even CLOSE to the very top,
but don't tell my boys that.  :)

And Taylor learned that when mom says to put certain shoes on, she means it; hiking in flip-flops is a drag.

Thank you Searles and Leavitts!

Saying that the boys had the time of their life would be an understatement...the newly formed gorge from spring runoff and all the rain was the perfect size for these kids...

Tanner and Ryan E.  Best buddies!

Finding obsidian treasures.

looking for things to put in the "death hole" 

A little dirt never hurt...it's even better if it's mud!

Taylor had the darndest time keeping his 'wrangler skinny jeans' on.
Poor kid showed his cute little bottom on more than one occasion. 

Taylor with his buddy, Jake and Jake's bro, Cam.

the "death hole", rightly named.
I couldn't get out once I got in to take a picture.

Tanner longingly wanting to jump across, without the wrath of mom.

Is there a brother's version of the song "Sisters"???

And (of course) Kortlen just chilled in the stroller...wrapped in a blanket, then covered with a heavy quilt...he was quiet as a mouse!

And then the boy scouts brought out fuel and added flames...

So I put away the camera, because more than once, someone thought my kids were going to go into the fire...Luckily they didn't...but there were a few close calls.

Funny Story real quick:  Tanner had done 'something' with the fire as I was talking to friend and Brother Manwaring said to him, "Good job Tanner!  You're going to be a great boy scout!"  And I saw him running off and heard rolling laughter from all the adults, so I whipped around and asked if he had peed in the fire, completely mortified of the answer. *doh!*  Luckily he was just 'throwing away garbage' in the flames, but boy, he had me good!  So sad, that my first response to laughter and my son is if he's done something he shouldn't have...

And we had a wonderful fireside with s'mores...

We were the last ones to 'leave' and got home around 11; bathed, and those boys were asleep before their heads hit the pillow.  They were tuckered right out!  Ryan got home a little after midnight, but we were all too tired to get up and make it back there for breakfast....next time, right?  :)

__________

Watching my boys play brought back a flood of memories of our Kolob 2nd Ward Summer Parties, up at Kelly's Grove in Hobble Creek Canyon.  We never did stay the night "cause there was always something to do" the next morning on the ranch.  But we had a blast playing in Hobble Creek and hiking up the mountains, only to come down sliding in the damp dirt on our butts.  Oh, I'm sure my mom was fit to be tied with us all running around like hooligans!  Remember that, Keith? Good times, good times.