Camping Palooza

We have had a lot of fun this summer.

We've been here,

we've been there,

we've been a little bit of everywhere.

We managed to bribe a few friends into hanging out in the mountains with us.

Here are a couple of reasons not to go camping with the Bowen's.

1.  We will absolutely win any "who has the dirtiest kids" competition.

 2.  We tend to have shoe issues.  Nothing major...just forgetting them completely.

For the record - they were on his feet when we left our house, they just didn't make it past our stop at a friends house. 

Sharlene - have you seen an extra pair of shoes lying around?

3.  I will take many "just in case they get married someday" pictures of your children and mine.

Aren't they adorable?

Just this last weekend we went "camping" with several families from our ward.

I say "camping" because does it really count as camping if you have showers, flushing toilets, beds and a full functioning kitchen?

I'm not going to to lie.

I don't care if it counts or not because it was awesome!

Well, it started being awesome AFTER I barfed my guts out on the way up there.

Taco Bell + winding mountain roads = well, nevermind.  Use your imagination.

The lodge slept 32 people and we filled almost all of the beds.

Here's what you get when you ask the big girls to pose for a picture.

Ahhh...they will all be terrorizing their leaders at girls camp in a few years.  :)

And here's what you get when you ask the big boys to pose.

No love for the camera and nasty, dirty boy feet.

Thanks guys.

While we were there we took a couple of short hikes.

The first was at a place called Dome Rock.

It was a fairly simple hike the led to a large rock 

which overlooked a beautiful valley in Sequoia National Park.

This is the part where we discovered that Jack 

has a teeny weeny (ok, huge) fear of heights.

Who knew?

Maybe if you would wear real shoes rather than soccer cleats...

(I told you we have shoe issues)

The poor boy was shedding a few tears 

and had to be coaxed out for a little family picture.

He was not a happy boy.

On the way down, he was holding onto me for dear life and I quote,

"Mom, why did you take us up there?!  

You knew we could have died!

Do you promise not to take us anywhere like that ever again?!  

This is the worst day of  my life!"

Well, I am sure glad that I can provide you with lasting memories, my son.

On our way home on Saturday, we stopped and hiked the Trail of 100 Giants.

I am pretty sure we looked something like a school field trip.

17 kids in our little group.

We made sure not to go anywhere where we would surely die.

Now that we've gotten our fresh, mountain air, 

gotten dirty enough to last another year,

and eaten way too many s'mores,

I think we are ready to hunker down and start school this week.