Our summer camping trip

So this was our first trip of the summer. We started out last Friday going to Nephi for a pioneer wagon pageant. Just a little back ground we have been staying in a spring bar tent for the last 8 years. Well after a very difficult rainy camping adventure back in April. We thought it best for my little family to get a tent trailer so we all would have a little more space. We picked one up later that month and have never really taken it out for a spin. Well not to stay that we didn't try too. I thought the trailer could go anywhere that the truck could go. So we did some damage and lost the piece that cranks the trailer up. So we didn't end up using the trailer that weekend. Thanks to Levi my brother and John my brother in law. They fixed it the best they could and got it working.



Any how Nephi has a pageant no one knows about and it happens every other year. We stayed Friday night and I stayed up talking with my uncle Steven until 2:30 in the morning. I love being able to learn new things about the people I love. My uncle was diagnosed with Multiple sclerosis a few years ago. He is still very young at only 38 and is sometimes forced to use a wheel chair. I love those late night talks that seems to allow deep honest conversation.



Saturday was a nice day with the kids off playing with the cousins. That night was fun we did a fun chuck wagon dinner and went through a family history of the Willie and Martin handcart company. Then on to the pageant it was well worth the trip. At least for me pour Russ got to take care of Rachael. It was very late and she was tired so he took her out to the car and put her to sleep. He did that within the first 20 minutes of the play so he missed the entire thing.



Sunday it was time to pack up and head out. This was the chance that Russ and I took to try camping on our own with just the 5 of us. This was a little scary for me just because we have always gone camping with family and my mom always does the food. So this was a chance for me to see how I can camp on my own.

Next we headed out to the Burr trail at a camp ground Russ found on the internet. I was getting a little worried as we got closer to the site. We kept driving into a vast nothingness and we came around the bend and ended up with big trees. It was a beautiful spot Russ can always find us $4.00 camping spots.

The first night we took a 30 mile drive down the Burr trail to Capitol Reef. We went back to the site where we were the only people in the entire place. So the kids being up late and very loud was not an issue. During our 3 day stay in Escalante state park we went over hells back bone. It is a road that is only big enough for one car and has a 2,000 foot drop on both sides and goes for a half mile. That isn't the worst road out there hwy 12 has a road that they just laid on top of a mountain and it doesn't have any rails. This road goes for about a mile and it is very windy and most people including me drive in the middle on the yellow line. We took a hike on the petrified forest trail the kids loved that hike. Also Russ and Collin took a walk around Devils Garden while I sat in the car with other kids as they slept. I think that Collin just loved his time alone with his daddy.

On Wednesday we headed out for Bryce for the family reunion. This was a little weired and kind of crazy because we had planned on meeting up with Russ' parents but drama was going on back home. My sister in law Kimmie had to go in for surgery to have her Gallbladder removed on the day they were to leave. So needless to say they didn't make it down because Eve stayed home to help with the new baby. Kimmie is doing much better. The first thing we did after getting set up was shower because we didn't have any water for 3 days. Jack did a big family BBQ and it was nice to be able to connect with family. Thursday Kevin took us on a hike that he called a leisurely stroll needless to say it was for the most part just that. What he didn't tell us is that we had to drop down about 30 feet into a hole into order to have that stroll. My family of 5 loved the hike and Collin keeps asking when he can go on Kevin's Trap again. That night we went to the rodeo and just hung out. On Friday we went into Bryce and helped the kids get their Jr ranger badge. They still have the badges on everything they wear. It was a fun and interesting time with the family.

Saturday we headed out for a 6 hour drive to spend one night at my family reunion in Ogden canyon. I love this side of my family it is my grandpa Dunn's side. This is a family that just knows how to love everyone and let go of judgement. The best part was that I had family that I haven't seen in at least 10 years.

I am so glad that we took the time to do this vacation. Russ is always worried to take time off of work he feels they need him to much. I like him better when we take time to be together just us and as a family.