.: Camping in a (rather large) Nutshell

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Camping in a (rather large) Nutshell

Friday morning we set out on our annual camping trip. This year we visited Morro Bay again. The Hoskins, Mowers, Banrys, Miles, Joosts, Cioffis, and Nalians joined us this year.

Friday called for setting up camp,

riding bikes,

games of Sequence, holding Megan

and of course a campfire for Smores and Smockos. Wes had an unsettled stomach Friday night which he blamed on Pea Soup Andersens, but when he passed it to Kelly on Saturday we agreed it was a stomach bug. Poor kids! Saturday the men arose early for a game of golf.

Wes, Jordan, and Jordon teed off together. Scott, Nathan, Leonard and John were just behind them.

The boys once again had more fun driving the carts

than anything and enjoyed finding balls and hitting 5 balls at each hole and still ending up faster than the dads. The sweet girls even brought them muffins along the way.

The little girlies and Ethan had fun bear and troll hunting in the "wilderness" beside the course.

The crane walking around near them was a highlight.

After golf, we caught the trolley

to head into town, where we walked,

played giant chess,

shopped(ghetto stroller),and browsed a farmer's market for fruit and tamales and sat on the street .

We ended the day with Chefs Cioffi preparing fabulous meals. They know how to camp! Scott toasted our buns and we sat by the campfire enjoying the evening.

Sunday morning brought a big breakfast--- and I kid you not, lime sized mosquito bites on Wes' legs. Apparently he's allergic to them. Benadryl and steroid cream to the rescue! Then there was kayaking. Scott, Chelsie and I took it easy out there--I wasn't sure how the vertigo would affect me on a boat, but I held my own quite well and had a great time.

A group of 4 seals kept splashing up

near our kayak and teasing us a bit. We saw pelicans dive bombing for fish

, once a school of fish jumped near us, and otters surfaced here and there. The teens took to canoes this year

and the boys had great fun when the girls parked their canoe to explore the island. The boys split up and took the girls canoes. The girls chased them and Kristina even jumped in the water to save the day. Chandler had his own adventure when he tipped his kayak, but that is what memories are made of!

We later drove to Morro rock for a little exploring,

where Chandler got bit by a squirrel,

we found tide pools,

Rob caught crabs,

and the girls got soaked in a wave.

Wecooked dutch oven meals which although we started a bit late the result was worth the wait. It was overcast most of the time we where there and the air was thick with humidity so the warm chicken and rice was a welcome treat. Monday brought us back to lovely Castaic where we rested and then went to FHE in the park

and a farewell to the Parrish family.

It was the perfect end to our little vacation with great friends.

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Quotable Quips and Laughable Life

I decided that I wanted to add a small section with little things that my kids have said or done over the years that I never want to forget and I think are worth sharing. Unfortunately I was much better at writing these things down a bit late in the game....Chelsie steals the show here a bit. If only I could remember all those things I thought I'd never forget. I hope you take my challenge to write down all those things you hope to pass on one day.

When Chelsie was about 2 she had been jumping on my brand new couch, so I promptly told her to stop jumping on the nice furniture. Her response was very logical. "Then where's the mean furniture?"

While camping in the Sequoias, the entrance sign read, "1 bear incident this week...." Kelly mispronounced it as 1 bear accident....later in the bathroom, Chelsie noticed wet spots on the floor, and announced, "This must be where the bear had the accident."

We had a family home evening on choosing the right, and we thought Chelsie understood but when we asked her she said, "Yes, don't choose the left!"

When Kelly was in the 5th grade, she needed to use the classroom phone to call me. She dialed 9 to get an outside line, then she had to dial 1 because I have a long distance cell phone number, but she accidently hit the 1 twice. When the 911 dispatcher answered she was scared and just hung up. 5 minutes later the front office called the classroom stating that 3 sheriffs had arrived ready to take action and were wanting to know who called and why. Now it was by sheer coincidence that this was a morning that there was a prison breakout, so officers were on high alert. Kelly was embarrassed then, but can laugh about it now!

When Wes was about 4, he used to tell everyone that he was going to marry his friend Elizabeth, and that they were going to have 16 kids, and maybe a car.

When Chelsie was 3 1/2 we told her she needed to learn to spell her name. She responded, "I already know....A L I Z A."
(That was her best friend who taught her)

I was talking with my girls about the weather, and Kelly said, that stupid beaver was wrong, spring is not around the corner. Chelsie then chimed in, it's not a beaver, it's a warthog. Clearly I have failed them.