Ward Camp Out 2009

We finally had our first real camping experience as a family with children. Doug and I had been camping once before when I was pregnant with Evelynn, and sleeping on rocky ground and having to go pee at 1, 3, and 5 in the morning was not my idea of fun, so we postponed more camping until last years ward camp out. That was almost a success, because we had both girls in the tent asleep, and Doug was a sleep (I was not, for reasons that will be explained soon) when the park ranger came and told us that we had to clear out because of a forest fire coming our way. So at 1:30 am we packed everyone up and left. Then this year we decided it was going to be the year to make it happen, and it almost didn't. Doug was not feeling well all day Friday and stayed home from work, but rallied enough to take up the cooking stuff that evening. I packed all the camp stuff just in case we decided to stay. As soon as we made the decision to stay, got our tent up and stuff arranged, Eloise started to have a hard time. She cried, and cried, and cried. Turns out she was cutting teeth. Evelynn saved us though (well, at least me because I was stressed) by claiming she really wanted to go to bed at 8:30, which she actually did. I thought she was just fascinated with the tent (which was true) but she also fell asleep in 20 minutes! Eloise was up until almost 10, but hey, one kid I can handle.

The Young Women and Stephanie Brienholt entertained us with songs and dancing. We even learned the Bishop Myrick dance, which I must say was much more hip than I was originally expecting.

Bishop Myrick entertained us with several interactive stories. Doug got chosen to be a babbling brook in one story. This meant that every time babbling brook was said in the story, he had to gargle water until it said "over the waterfall." Doug made a waterfall once or twice, once on accident. :)

The morning after. We had a wonderful breakfast, and Doug tried his hand at fishing in the river, but to no avail unfortunately. Fresh fish would have been awesome. Here's the breakfast crew hard at work.

This is the inside of our tent. Yes, we fit two adults and two kids in this tent. Doug and I were on an air mattress (because I told Doug after that first time camping that I would never go again unless I got to sleep on an air mattress) and the girls were squished over on the edge in the remaining 2 1/2 feet of space. It would have worked out fine (the girls slept all night) but our tent is exactly 6 ft long on the bottom, but then the walls slant up, so by the time I laid down on the air mattress with a pillow, the tent space was 5' 8", and I am 5' 10" and I sleep on my back. My toes did not fit in this tent. I was miserable, because even sleeping on my side I would flip to by back in my sleep... and it was just a little harder than I was thinking it would be.

This gives you an idea as to how small our tent is. But it is still a really cool tent since we got it at DI for $5, all parts accounted for. Not too shabby! We made it through the night tolerably well, at least I did. Evelynn woke up at 6:30 bright eyed and happy because she had almost a full nights sleep, going to bed when she did. We learned a few things on this trip. One, I cannot sleep if I don't have enough room. Two, always pack Tylenol no matter where you are going. And three, we desperately need a bigger tent!