Not sure if doing something for 2 years makes it a tradition, but if it does then we just got back from our traditional spring camping trip at Enchanted Rock - Hill Country Camping Society Style.
Last year we had 24 adults and 32 kids. This year we had 30 adults and 40 kids. Interestingly (at least to me) our ratio has stayed at .75 adults for every child. In my mind, ideal is about 1.5 so we have some work to do. :)
We have learned from previous experience that getting packed up the morning of requires half a day and help. Friday was the end of spring break and Owen & Rebecca were doing a little "gymnastics camp" at WAYA (more on that later) so they were happily gone that morning. And our dear Kimberley spent the morning until 11 keeping Maggie out of our piles. We were able to pick the kids up at 1 with a completely loaded minivan and we hit the road. But a few stops later (forgetting stuff at the house, potty, gas, reaching for stuff they'd dropped), we didn't really hit the main out-of-town highway until close to 3. Still, we arrived about 4:30 - not far from our goal time of 4. For us, that was awesome. On our way there as Kyle and I "ran the list" of items packed/forgotten Rebecca interjected that she hoped we had stuff for s'mores. Check. Then Owen asked as if it was the only thing that mattered if we had the Vasoline. ???
The crowds were pretty amazing - spring break and all. We reserved camp sites 9 months ago but its first come first serve as far as picking them - and our ideal spot was taken by some Boy Scouts who arrived at 8am. If you compete against Boy Scouts YOU CANNOT WIN. Our sites were a lot prettier than last years - hidden back away from the parking lot. But that meant further from our cars, the bathroom and the playscape. We're roughing it now, people! So, while Kyle schlepped our stuff from the car to set up camp, I tried to keep Maggie out of the cactus and the other two entertained somehow... (Notice how clean their faces are at this point - not a trend.)
Moment of honestly - that evening was rough. Next year we'll bring our dinner instead of cooking it there because with setting up camp and welcoming and helping new folks was a lot to handle w/ 3 kids. Live and learn. At one point after putting all 3 kids to bed at the same time was clearly not going to work, Kyle took Maggie for a walk while I stayed in the tent to wrangle the older two and promptly fell asleep. The glass of wine I had poured myself in my nalgene was left completely untouched...Until the next morning when Kyle went to measure some water using my nalgene... Oops! :)
After a great breakfast thanks to the master planning of the famous Trey Tull (who hadn't even been able to make it to camp yet due to sick kids) - we embarked on the ERock Summit!
This year was a breeze compared to last year. Kyle carried M in the Kelty backpack and after she got used to it, they did fine. R actually ran along at a pretty good clip and set their pace. They beat O and me to the top.
Can you see the cars lined up along the road to get into the park?
I think I took this same picture last year - I love the lines that cut through this place. Crazy geology I don't pretend to totally understand (and luckily Owen didn't ask).
The big'uns w/ Daddy at the top.
While Kyle lead O & R down into the cave at the top (I don't do caves anymore) - I hung w/ some other mommas and littles, then decided Maggie had had enough so we hiked it back down. She crashed in the backpack about 60% of the way down - I knew it immediately because the constant fussing went dead silent. And people kept saying - oh, how sweet!
She woke up when I took her out of the backpack and I thought I almost had her to sleep in the tent, but she perked up. So we played for a while and ate and then had success in her "pea pod"
in the shade behind our tent. Did I mention that we had some record
heat? (And last year it was freakishly cold. Hello Springtime in Texas.)
Once everyone else got back we ate lunch and then sort of moved around camp every few minutes finding and sitting in the ever-elusive shady spots. Trees with no leavcs do not provide much shade.
Hanging out after lunch.
Owen ended up taking a little nap (he's like his momma - heat = sleep), but Rebecca had no problem finding someone else to play with. That is the understatement of the year. Meet Caleb. Or Calip, if you're Rebecca. The older man. He's almost (or just turned?) five.
Can you feel the love?
His concern for her booboo from a flower thorn.
Sneaking off into the woods (literally) to "go on an adventure" (his words) and "find pretty flowers and butterflies" (her words).
And when we made them come closer to home - they "pretended to go camping" together by building a fire.
This went on for hours folks. They even started tickling each other at one point. We have had lots of requests for future playdates. The good news is I have no problem following up with that because his parents are precious old friends. In fact, I went to senior prom w/ Caleb's dad...so you can imagine the irony and jokes about their future prom...
When Owen asked Rebecca why she was playing with Caleb so much she said:
Because I love him.
And I know everything about him. His house has stairs and he likes sharks.
The next morning the first thing out of R's mouth was "where's Calip" and when I reminded her that he had to go home the night before she cried. Real tears, ya'll.
And last night at dinner, she asked to pray and said the following:
Dear God, thank you that I really want to go to Calip's house. And thank you that I really want to I hope he has flowers and butterflies and pretty things and stairs, but no sharks. And please let's go camping at a rock again. AMEN FOR JESUS.
(I am not embellishing folks.)
Okay, and then there's Maggie. This is her WHOA face! Watching the big kids play w/ our toy rocket launcher could have kept her engaged for hours had it not gotten dark on us.
As could the fascination with the blinking light we had attached to her (one on the front and one on the back) so we could find her wandering stumbling little self in the twilight.
Owen perked up after his nap and was jonesing for s'mores.
Bedtime the 2nd night went a lot more smoothly - always does because everyone is so tired (even though I let Maggie nap for way too long). The only problem we had was that our uncharged iphones only had enough juice to run our noise machine/white noise app until about 3am. I say its for the kids, but I think I'm the only one who woke up because of the awful silence. The next morning we woke up to Maggie crawling around on us - I had forgotten that I unzipped Maggie's little tent in the middle of the night to put a blanket on her and left it unzipped. And just like at home, everyone was up before Rebecca. This is her morning hair.
More rocket time - but this time with a new little girlfriend since Calip was gone. Tolerating Maggie's "help."
Moving Maggie when her help was no longer helpful.
Owen spent much of his time cruising around on R's glider bike (which used to be his).
This hill path was a favorite track for most of the riding kids.
To me, this picture pretty much sums up the trip - 3 kids moving in 3 different directions!
Owen explaining how gears work.
And then it was already time to pack up! (I can't believe we used to do all this work for only 1 night.) So, I got our "stuff" packed up and then took the big kids down to the the little creek to "catch frogs" while Kyle helped break-down the community party of camp and start "lumping" (an old Camp Buckner word) to the car.
We weren't able to catch any frogs but R was plenty content to fill up an old water bottle w/ gravel. It's the simple things.
And this is where I'd love to show you the hiney shot of Owen peeing in the creek but I think he's probably too old for that. Bummer.
So we get back, say our goodbyes to the majority of our HCCS compadres and then try to stay happy (and in the shade) while Kyle, Luke and Joel got all the last minute cleaning/loading done. I leave you w/ pictures of Maggie - super dirty, snotty, orangy, tired, and yet still smiling for the camera. The trip might have been (okay, would have been) easier without her...but then I wouldn't have these.
Owen watched a video and both girls crashed on the way home. We even managed to get mostly unpacked that afternoon. Mostly. :)
Not sure what the trip will look like next year. But thanks to these awesome families for making HCCS E-Rock 2013 such a success!
The Other Mezgers Family, Tull Family, Foshea Family, Peschka Family, Murray Family, Sorenson Family, Dawson Family, Boone Family, Melton Family, Kuykendall Family, Gonzalez Family, Davis Family (our soon-to-be new neighbors!!!), Boothe Family, Tabor Family, Hardy Family.
(New house post below.)
