Roaring Springs

What would summer be without a visit to our local hot spot, Roaring Springs!

Cousin, Kya joined us.

Ward Campout

This year our ward accidentally scheduled the Ward Campout smack dab over the same dates as the Priesthood Encampment.  Todd being the Stake Young Men's President, that meant he had to go to the encampment.  I was so frustrated with my situation.  I was on the ward council for several years leading up this year, always suggesting (outwardly suggesting, but inwardly begging) that we hold a ward campout like they used to a decade ago.  This was the very first one in a long time and now Todd couldn't go.  Well that wasn't going to stop me!  So I took Todd's truck and loaded it myself, packed clothes up for the kids and I, brought some hot dogs and s'mores, and away we went.  I got some raised eyebrows for that.  But let's face it, camping with kids is really only hard when they are little and give you the fright of them wandering off, falling in a stream, or keeping  you up all night.  But Lainey was 6 by now and slept fine, listened well, and knew how to swim.  Fears of camping without your husband are either of lack of experience camping or the boogie man.  I've camped plenty, owned my own tent since I was 20, and with a camp full of ward members, wasn't worried about feeling alone.

I was so glad I went.  It was at Lost Lake.  It's beautiful up there. 

Being in the Primary for several years and not attending Sunday School or Relief Society, I felt like I had lost touch with a lot of members in my ward.  Or having a few that I see often for CrossFit has probably pegged me as clicky.  And I am far from that.  I love having new friends of all types.  So having a chance to sit by the fire and get to know people and laugh was delicious to me.

Here's Brother Mass roasting biscuit dough on wooden dowels to make room to fill them will pudding and eat camp fire éclairs!  Pretty cool!

My hot dogs were quickly looking quite dull to my children who were seeing 3 course dutch oven meals including lasagna, stew, homemade donuts, cobbler, all kinds of craftiness.  Camping, to me, was always about getting out into nature and sort of roughing it.  So I'm lame and I keep it pretty simple.  Ironically, the other kids in camp were all begging for a hot dog.  Wish I had brought more!

The next day we packed up camp and hit the plunge hole by the falls.  It's a short 20' rock jump or so.  It gave me a terrible ear ache for the drive home.  It was fun to see my kids be brave on, though.

Train Concert

Friends and I had a girls night out to see TRAIN!  Such a great concert.  And one of those bands that has so many hits that you know every single song at the concert.  Too much fun.  Love these ladies too!

Nashville Tribute Concert

While Todd was at the Priesthood Encampment, I also took the kids to the Nashville Tribute Concert.  I invited my friend Heidi and her kids.  They took our picture for us.  They also went to dinner with us afterward.  It was a great concert.  What a cool band that usually does religious tours.  Marie Osmond joined the tour this year.  She sure looked young.  I imagine being in show business that you're danged if you and danged if you don't do all the spectrum of age fighting procedures and things.  You'd get fingers pointed at you for looking too old if you didn't.  But she definitely had people snickering about how on earth she looked so young. 

Ashton's Birthday Party

Ashton's birthday was in January, but it is HARD to entertain boys indoors.  So we waited until June and watched the weather forecast for a hot afternoon to host a water fight party.  This was his invitation:

I LOVED this party.  We set up barricade boxes that they could hide behind.  We got a bunch of coiled Velcro strips to measure and cut pieces off to wrap around their wastes.  They stuck squirt guns and water balloon sling shots in that.  We provided cheap party squirt guns and sling shots and had a ton of water balloons filled for them.  They were asked to bring water guns.  The boys were on teams.  We used the soccer goals for team base and gave each team a kiddie pool full of water to fill their weapons with.  They were so fun to watch.  An absolute blast.  I couldn't leave any pictures out of this post because they all made me smile.