break from vacation..........

We got back from camping for a week in Pinecrest last Saturday afternoon. Four days later I'm still catching up on laundry, housecleaning, paperwork and the like. So I told myself I would never go camping again without hubby after last years tiring, frustrating week in the woods. I stayed with family who helped a lot, but I was still responsible for feeding, bathing, and disciplining 3 kids while trying to keep up with the dirt. Yuck.

This year was going to be different. Hubby spent 2 days with us and we stayed in a cabin instead of roughing it in a tent. We spent most the days at the campsite in Pinecrest then went home for wonderful hot showers, a kitchen and washer/dryer- a Mom's best friend when in the mountains with chillies. Thankfully, this year was a more pleasant experience and I wasn't stressed out every minute. Highlights included fishing on Uncle Mark's new boat (J), playing in Pinecrest Lake, roasting marshmallows (T) and making smores (Mom) at the campfire, and that clean fresh pine smell in the air (Dad). I almost forgot the raging Nerf dart gun fights we had in the cabin. Dad found a bunch of guns cheap at Walmart in Sonora and outfitted the entire family for a huge showdown. It was crazy fun!



Jess had a rough first 3 days up there. She threw-up twice before we left so she was pretty tired and dehydrated already when we got up to Twain Harte where the cabin was. Three more days of nauseu, throwing up and lethargy and we figured out that J probably had altitude sickness. After numerous cups of ice chips and a strict BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce and toast) she was as good as new 12 hours later. J felt better just in time to go fishing on Uncle Mark's boat and show everybody up by cathcing 4 fish in about an hour. Grandpa B and Sam caught one. Mom and Toby caught zippo.


Toby talked about catching a fish all week. The first time he went with Mom and the gang on Mark's boat he caught nothing. Two nights later Grandpa B and Mark took him again. Toby finally caught a fish that night. After reeling it in and watching it flip around in the net he got a little scared. The first words out of his mouth were, "Put it back!" The rest of Toby's camping vacation was shooting water guns wherever he wanted (except people), peeing in the bushes and trees, stick swords, and flirting with Aunt Tori's friends and the 10 year-old girls in the next campsite. He can attract quite a group of ladies already. I don't want to see him at 16.

Little Coop was in heaven with dirt, rocks and water bottles all around. He acquired a new hobby while camping- turning water bottle lids off and on and dumping half the bottle down his shirt in an attempt to get a drink. Any water in his sight was not safe from his dirty, sneaky hands. He loves working the cap and probably felt nice and cool with a wet shirt most the day.

I don't think Great-Grandma B will go back to camping in a tent trailer in the dirt. We converted her to staying in a cabin and visiting the dirt and lake during the day.

So "camping" was a success. It's nice to be home though.



Beautiful Strawberry River


Chillies loved seeing the huge windmills in the Livermore hills.