A Woodchuck's Fourth of July

We were feeling antsy-

and more than ready for the summer to get under way-

so rather than wait for our

annual Family Camp to Woodchuck Flats,

we went up early for the 4th!

We arrived late, about 8 o'clock in the evening,

and for some of us,

that proved much to late!

My job was to figure out how to get hot chocolate without a stove!

Mission:  Success!

Dad's job was to figure out how to work my Grandpa's ancient stove.

Mission: Failed!

Lucky for us,

he knows how to build a fire!

So we went old school cooking!

The downside though:

We forgot to bring a chainsaw or an ax!

Which meant we were forced to

manhandle wood to the campsite-

not an easy feat when everything is wet or frozen!

 

As the next day warmed,

all our spirits did too!

Especially when the kids realized
we were surrounded by patches of...

SNOW!

We improvised an ice cooler...

{Samuel was extrememly proud of this!}

...and then scrambled up Longhorn, aka Maddy Mountain.

Back at the camp,

Gabriel ate some forest snacks...

and Isabella created "Maple Syrup Ice"!

I found an awesome reading spot...



...before settling in to cook dinner

ON MY FULLY FUNCTIONING STOVE!

YEA!

We relaxed by the fire...

...while our child laborers were hard at work shucking corn!

Samuel,

leading the kids in the camp songs.

Our favorite, "Picture a Cowboy"!

The next day was "Spa" day,

and the girls got the full treatment at the "salon"!

They needed the pampering too

because we hit the trails again to head to the waterfalls!

We took the "scenic" route,

and braved the brush and natural landscape to get to our destination.

That's a nice way of saying we went the WORST way

and had plenty of scratches to prove it!

Our reward though:

Salami!

And a booger check!

This is one of my favorite shots.

Owen, my pip-squeak of a boy,

rarely sits still anymore.

So this moment is a treasure,

and perfectly captures his growing "boy-ness".

My men.

Samuel,

carefully (and responsibly)

instructing the children on how to start a forest fire

with a magnifying glass.

They were all ears.

THE WATERFALLS!

More specifically, the upper falls!

Ava,

dying to get in.

Don't you dare!

Mama's boys!

Iris,

making the cover of a "Visit Here" mag.

On our way back we cut through the 4-H camp

for a seat on the...seat. 



Before we left,

we visited the swimming hole. 

This spot has been visited by the Elmers

for multiple generations now,

and it's been the recipient of many

cannon balls and other daredevil stunts off it's ledges.

It was crazy to see it raging with wates from the melting snow,

and none of us could imagine surviving a dip in it now.

What a great fourth!

It was different for sure,

but a great way to start off the summer camping season!

The Water Park

Whoever invented local water parks is a GENIUS!

It's the best way to beat the heat for FREE!



A big thanks to the sisters in this ward

for arranging a visit to this park! 

 I don't know that I'd have gone otherwise,

and now we'll definitely keep it on the list!

Easiest Refereshments EVER!!!

So we all know how fast FHE rolls around,

and if you're anything like me,

you're always caught off guard for a dessert!

I know we don't have to be extravagant,

but it's always a highlight of the evening

so I don't like to disappoint.

What to do then when your little birdies are waiting?

Sundaes, of course!

IN YOUR MOUTH!

I guarantee it to be the

tastiest,

simplest,

&

 silliest

treat ever!

Even mom's and dad's love it!

Happy Family Home Evening!

{Owen was mad I wouldn't give him another sundae! 
It's either that or I have him in a headlock. 
Both could be true so take your pick!}

High Adventure Trek & The County Fair

This is Samuel's first year in the Young Men's program at church,

and one of the biggest perks of working with the Varsity Scouts

is their annual High Adventure Trek. 

This year,

they went white-water rafting (I'm so jealous!),

and a big highlight for him was seeing a Bald Eagle for the first time!

While dad was away,

I wanted to do something really fun with the kids too.

Lucky for us,

the County Fair was in full swing...

so off we went!

I was so proud of Owen! 

He was determined to ride the cars,

even when no one else would ride with him!

The downside:

He hated the ride.

And was pretty traumatized from that point forth!

My girls were pretty awesome too!

They all wanted to ride the ferris wheel-SCARY!

To met at least,

I'm terrified of the things!

They loved it though,

and I'm thrilled no one fell out!

 While we waited for the girls,
me and the boys had a great time just relaxing
picnic-style on the lawn.



Later, I held my first scorpion...

...and the kids fell in love with the cows!

{They missed, dad!}

My daredevils tackled the swings next...

and don't ask me what I'm going to do

when they're old enought to want to ride the Zipper!



It was a really fun night out! 

Sometimes it's daunting taking them all out by myself,

but these are the best kids in the world

and they make me laugh and smile so much!

Sweet Cheeks & Thunderbolts

Baby's with some heft are rare in our family-

only Ava and Gabriel have graced us with rolls,

so forgive me for celebrating my little man.

He's not a chunky-monkey by any means-

but he is sturdy-

especially compared to Owen,

and recently,

to my dismay,

I realized he was growing. 

Which meant only one thing...

All that beautiful baby fat

was starting

to

disappear...

Sad!

So one last hurrah
(Sorry, I couldn't resist the lightening bolt)...

 

before he grows...



up...

for good.

I love you, sweet cheeks!

XOXOMom 



Caught in the Act

The Perp

Small

Slimy

And able to eat

all the strawberries in the garden

before anyone in the house can get

a single

one.

Finally,

caught in the act.

Park Days

This morning was a nice get-together at the park with several sisters from the ward.

In the summer, we don't usually make it out to the park until twilight. 

Trying to beat the heat means getting everyone

out the door a little too early! 

But when we do get out, it's nice getting a jump on the day.

The kids had a blast playing in the volleyball pit...

Gabriel loved feeling the grass...



And Owen pouted when it was time to go!

Which means it was a very successful park day!

Dollar Scoop Tuesdays

Don't let Gabriel's frown fool you...

we love ice cream!

And the kids are so happy to pick out their own scoop!

Don't believe me?

Just ask Owen!

From these photos you'd never know that we're also the parents of

three stunningly beautiful daughters. 

They're all grown up and sitting at their own table-er, tables. 
Ava chose to sit at a table by herself (see the first photo).

Funny girl.

The Bubble Lady & A Sizzling Day at the Park

All I can say is...

she's real.

And the fact that The Bubble Lady visits the library free

for their Summer Reading Program is a total steal! 

The bubbles did not disappoint...

...though, granted, some were less impressed than others.

But you have to admit...

...for the most part,

this is pretty impressive.

There's only one way to top the Bubble Lady, and that is...

...no, not pretzels...

...the PARK!



Judging from the red cheeks,

it was a very, very warm day!

But there are lots of smiles too so it was worth it!