Family Campout

This weekend we got to do a little camping with some friends of ours. It just so happened to be the same camp ground where Matty and I met 7 years ago. 

I had high hopes of getting a great family shot at the very same river where years ago I begged my friend Nicole to come with me so that I could "check out the hot brown guy" in my ward without looking like a loner. 

Look at us now :)

No, Sammy isn't smiling and we are in our camping duds, but honestly this picture means a lot to me. Who would've known 7 years later....

 Smile, you little turd!! (He had just woken up from a nap and he is NOT a morning person)

We had a good time camping and this was Sam's first time really "roughing it." He did great and really enjoyed the outdoors.

When it got dark we covered the kids in glow sticks and they ran around together all night.

 Our family slept in the car and what we didn't realize was that when you blow up an air mattress in the back of your SUV it covers the air vents. We figured this out in the middle of the night when we woke up hyperventilating. There's nothing like suffocation to make you appreciate the beautiful oxygen filled forests of the PNW. :)

The next morning, we ate breakfast by the fire and laughed about our horrible slumbers.

 Some of us woke with some really awesome bed-head :)

 When we were finally ready for the day, we all took the short hike down to the river and did a little "polar dipping". When I say we, I mean everyone but me. I do not do cold.

 After the river we drove up to the giant slip-and-slide. The kids were having a blast!

 Sammy didn't even hesitate to go down the big hill. He loved it.

He was on his 5th run when an adult accidentally ran into him at the bottom of the slide. Sam was bowled over into the mud and Matty and I ran down the hill as fast as we could to make sure Sam was alright. He was covered in mud and screaming and Matty and I feared broken bones or cuts and scrapes. All I could do was hold him close until he had calmed down enough to talk to me. After we rinsed him off I asked him, "Where does it hurt, Sammy? Can you tell me what's wrong?"

My heart about burst with love for this kid when between tears he replied, "Oh no, Mommy! I got mud on you!"

Ahh! Sweetest kid ever.

Anyway, he was totally fine (kids are so tough!) and all in all we had a great weekend. Sam is a very easy camper and hopefully we'll get to have some more outdoor fun before the fall comes and ruins everything ;)

Our next adventure, FIRST DAY OF PRESCHOOL!!!