Ward Campout or Better Known as Mom's 24hr of Freedom!

Our church held a campout for the ward/congregation. We've gone twice in the past years but have learned from experience to go when the little ones are at least 2 years of age. (You don't win friends in the ward with a crying child all night long! ;0) So Elias was my little buddy while I shopped for stuff for decorating the home and Kent took Isaac and Keila.

Keila's version of the campout: I saw chubby mushrooms (mush-ooms). I ate a treat. I saw a birdie. It sing. Painting grasses (?) The birdie's blue, purple, purple on the birdie nose. (Not sure what this is about ...) Smell flowers. Ate water and eggs and pancakes.

When I asked her what her favorite part was she said snuggling. Kent said she missed me a great deal and wasn't quite herself. She's a Mama's gal after all.

Isaac's version of the campout: First we drive there and after we got there we set up our tent. And I helped two other people set up their tent and then I went back. And then... it was soon the sun set and then it like zoom and it was to the night. And then we got on our coats and then we ate MARSHMELLOWS! After that we went to bed, we brushed teeth and then we readed books a bunch. We first read the scriptures and then we read fun books and after that we went to bed. Oh and also said a prayer. It was easy to sleep. I played with friends right when we got there. Well we just woke up, ate, played and soon went home, collected some gifts (rocks like the sand rock and flowers)

When asked what was the best part of it he said EVERYTHING! He loves camping especially with his Baba.

Kent's version is more of the highlights: Camping trip started with cleaning the church. We bought gourment Taco Bell in Flagstaff where we got rained on briefly. We drove on to Sunset Crater and quickly set up our tent. The kiddos went off to play and while they were playing, I played a game of Scum. Later on we ate our dinner and had smores that evening. I got to know 5 or 6 new people in the ward. We read books and went to bed. The next morning we took down our tent and I did alot of photography (took the telephoto lense - sneaky!) All in all I had lots of fun with the children especially when reading books at bedtiime. I enjoyed taking pictures quite a bit.

Beautiful scenery! The rain this year brought alot of wild flowers. Looking at the picture now I wonder if Keila's "painting grasses" are the red flowers I refer to as Indian paintbrush.

This is the 'purple birdie'. Apparently there were lots of blue jays there.

I love her little toddler hands. The dirt under the nails, the soft and rounded palms! Ah, she's growing up too quickly!

They picked a bouquet for me and Kent was wise enough to take a picture of it. By the time it got home to me it resembled nothing like what it is here. All the same I kept it on the table for a day, a gentle reminder that I was thought of and missed!