Mammoth 2011 (a very long post)

We went on our annual trip to Mammoth a couple of weeks ago. The third weekend in July to be exact. Last year we went Thursday to Sunday. This year we extended the trip by one day leaving on Wednesday. It was so much fun that we decided next year we have to stay a day longer (or maybe two). If this keeps up, before long we will be blocking of two weeks at a time to be there. Fine by me, as long as I can get to a laundromat during our stay!
We also changed things up a bit by breaking up our drive. About half way to our final destination we stayed the night at Boulder Creek RV park. The four hour drive to Mammoth becomes a five or six hour drive after you add in all the stops we have to make, (Carter has to pee, 20 minutes later Kyle has to pee-because of course he didn't have to go when Cater did, pull over to get more milk out of the trailer for Cameron, get gas, more separate potty breaks, kids screaming-pull over to let them stretch and get the wiggles out, stop to give Deuce some water, and so on, and so on.) The kids usually do really well but they don't sleep that long in the car anymore and they get antsy just knowing that we are headed someplace fun! Usually by the time we get there Gregg and I are dreading the drive home. Hence this years break in the drive.
Boulder Creek was a gem. We had never been there before,we'd just seen it on our way by. We got there after dark, but it had full hook ups so we basically pulled in, plugged in, and were done! We didn't even have to unhook from the truck. We had a good air conditioned night sleep, and woke up to a beautiful view and happy kiddos! In the daylight we did a little exploring and found that they have a beautiful club house with a big screen T.V., free coffee and muffins in the morning, a huge bird cage, tortoises, a pool and spa, playground, and more. Awesome! Next year we are going to take more advantage of some of those amenities.

Our little home for the night!

Look at the view just outside the RV.

After having that nice break, the couple our drive into Mammoth seemed to fly by! We got there, got set up and had the kids happy and covered in dirt by 10:30am. The weather was perfect, cool and breezy. Chris and Penny and the girls joined us, arriving after lunch Thursday. It was so great to have them there with us. The kids absolutely LOVE spending time with them, and Gregg and I do too! The extended weekend consisted of playing, lounging, reading, cooking, quad riding, eating, sightseeing, talking, laughing, lots of fishing, and tons of family fun and bonding.

Don't tell me I can't eat dirt! I'm on vacation!

Cammie wasn't about to let the boys have all the fun on.

Daddy was very slow and careful and she loved her turn on the quad.
Gregg and Chris did a wonderful job cooking.

Sitting around the campfire as a family was one of my favorite parts of each day.

Gregg and Chris are very entertaining, though I bet they'd deny it!

Saturday was our day for sightseeing. First we fueled up with a huge breakfast thanks to Gregg and Chris.

Don't bother me, I'm eating!

First we went to the Fish Hatchery. It was so cool to see so many trout so close up. You could buy a hand full of pellets to feed the fish for a quarter. They went nuts of course and the kids loved it. I think Kyle drained every last quarter from Auntie Penny's purse, bless her heart for indulging him.

The boys were mesmerized by the feeding frenzy.

Each section of the canal held groupings of fish of a certain size. The further you walked, the larger the fish. Some were huge!

Chris is an avid fisherman and was able to tell us a lot about the fish. The boys were just interested in throwing more food to them.

After the excitement at the hatchery we went to the Hot Creek Hot Springs. It was kind of a hike from the parking lot down to where the hot springs sat at the bottom of the mountain, but we were up for it.

This was the view from the top. It was amazing to see the naturally bubbling water and plumes of steam, as well as all of the different colors.

No one is allowed to get in the water anymore because the ground is so unstable. It's fenced off, but you can still get pretty close. The sulfur smell was certainly present.

It's hard to see in the photo, but this little pool right by the fence where we were standing was actually boiling and bubbling away.

Just so pretty! A little (well big) nature made hot tub!

Beginning the hike back up to the parking lot.

Carter buttered up his buddy Uncle Chris for a ride.

Cammie didn't have to do to much of begging herself for a ride from Auntie Penny.

We relaxed back at camp the rest of the afternoon.

This was the campground scene from our "porch" off of the RV. It was like a little Blaufuss Compound.

The boys love Courtney and Ashley so much that they were content to just sit and watch them clean and sweep out their tent. So funny. Later they napped in it with them.

Much of every ones time was spent fishing, but Gregg was the only one to actually catch anything. He ended up with 5 or 6 that he was able to get back to camp. Oh ya, he usually came back soaked up to his armpits.

Fish heads anyone?

(I love that the angle of the picture put the fish face right where Gregg's should be.)

Cammie had plenty of people to snuggle with when the got the evenings got cold. Here she is with Ashley.

Courtney's turn.

Ah, a beautiful relaxing campfire at the end of a wonderful trip!

I'm already looking forward to next summer when we get to go again!

Ohio Trip

Here are some pictures from the trip that Cameron and I took to Ohio to visit family last month.

Cammie Playing on our first morning there with her cousin Wesley and auntie Molly.

These two were fast friends!

Being silly before bed.
My adorable nephew Wesley, (Simon's son.)

What a cute little Family!

Charlie and Me!

Sisters by chance. Friends by choice.

Four generations. My Mom, Me, My Grandma Candy, and Cammie.

Cameron with my Aunt Rhonda.

My Grandpa Dan.

Cammie and Wesley had a ball playing at Grandpa Dan's work.

Grandpa and some of his girls!

My Mom's Parents. They're so cute!

We spent a lot of time on my parents deck. The babies got to play in the pool while the rest of us sat around and hung out together.

Being silly before bed was a nightly routine.

Our week in Ohio was so much Fun! Wish we could do it more often!

Carter's Preschool Graduation

Carter is done with preschool! If you ask him if he's in school he will bluntly tell you "No! I graduated!"

It was a very proud moment for him and a very bitter-sweet moment for Mom! But doesn't he look handsome in his cap and gown!

The ceremony was nice and typical. A slide show of the kids followed by the procession of 4 year old's being coaxed on where to go to get their diploma and then to hold still so that Mom and Dad can snap a few photos of the occasion.

Here is Kyle being very good waiting for the program to start.

We had to wait 45 minutes after we dropped Carter off at his room before the whole thing got started. Cammie wasn't about to sit still so I followed behind her as she walked around the chapel, (Carter went to a Christian preschool) pausing only when she would come to a new group of people so that they could tell her how pretty she looked in her dress. Once she received the compliment she was after she would walk away very obviously pleased with the attention. I swear she is such a Diva!

The afore mentioned moment for pictures.

He looks so Little!

He insisted on wearing his cap crooked.

The Graduating Class

Our Princess!

This picture is a little out of order, but isn't she cute!

Look at that Handsome little Man.

(Remind you of anyone?)

Grandma and Grandpa made it to town just in time! Carter was thrilled to have them there.

Such a sweet little guy! Lets hope that Kindergarten is just as fun for him!

Double Trouble

Every parent wants their kids to grow up being friends right? In my case my two sons running around, playing together. Buddies. Pals working as a team. Sounds wonderful right? Well, not always. Usually when they are working together it's because they are working against Me! They are still really young (4 1/2 and 3) so working against me usually consists of watching each others back so that they can get into something they're not supposed to.
Case in point:
The other day I was on the phone with my sister. She was helping me do something on the computer so my attention was completely absorbed. No problem because Cammie was still asleep and the boys were nicely watching t.v. together in my room. I was on the phone for 15 minutes tops, and about ready to hang up when Carter comes out and says, "Mom you'd better come see what Kyle did!" (I guess he thought that being the one to tell me first and blame it on the other guy would get him off the hook. It didn't!)
I walked in to my room to find this:

Trust me when I say that the pictures don't do it justice - it was much much messier that it looks.

I kind of could help but laugh at first, even stopping to take the obvious pictures. They were quite amused with themselves too.

As I started helping them clean it up I found more and more piles. Then I started to get upset about all of the waste as I came across empty roll after empty roll. Rolls that I had just bought the day before!

My amusement at the situation diminished completely as they continued to throw around the T.P. while I kept trying to clean it up. So they got a big lecture about mess, waste, and my general disappointment in their behavior - you know, the usual. Then off to their room for the punishment - 20 minutes on their beds with no toys, books, or anything fun!

I thought I'd take that opportunity to take a quick shower. As I'm getting ready to grab my towel and dry off I suddenly remember bits of a conversation I had with my 3 year old while I was distracted earlier.

Kyle: "I wiped my own Butt after I went poo!"

Mom: "What? You need me to come wipe your butt?"

Kyle: " No, I already did it. I used your towel."

Mom (still busy) thinks: I should really look into that.

So I drop the towel on the floor and get out of the shower soaking wet to grab a robe and immediately fetch a clean towel from the hallway closet before I forget again.

Nice way to start the morning.

Even though I do want my boys to be buddies, and work together, and basically grow up being the best of friends, sometimes that backfires and I get Double Trouble instead.

Disclaimer:

I didn't find any physical proof of Kyle wiping his own butt on my towel (or in his underwear), but I threw it in the wash right away just in case.