When one is headed into the mountains many things are needed to ensure a great trip. Because I feel the need to cover each of my ‘camping necessities’ this might possibly be the longest post I’ve ever done. If you make it to the end of this post you are either a really good friend who truly cares about my family, or just incredibly bored. ;) Maybe this will at least make up for my lack of blogging lately.
{THE TENT}
First on the agenda is to set up a tent and establish a place to call home. Kenny and Ellie had a great time sleeping in their tent. Addison and me? We enjoyed spending our nights in a motel just 20 minutes off the mountain. If you know me you know that I’m a “glamper” at heart. (Haven’t heard of glamping? Click here) My mom is also a glamper which is why she too joined us in the motel. I take a lot of flack for this. My family loves to tease me about not roughing it like the rest of them. They seem to think I’ve become “one of those d*&@ Californians.” They love to tease me and get in a good laugh at my expense. Well maybe I have become a little too “Californian,” but when I arrive at camp each morning smiling and refreshed after a shower and a good nights sleep, I’m the one who’s laughing.
{4-WHEELING}
{AMAZING SCENERY}
We have been camping on Boulder Mountain (Eastern Utah) every summer since before I can remember. My dad’s family all gets together to camp and it is a trip everyone looks forward to all year. Boulder Mountain has some of the most beautiful scenery I’ve ever seen in my life. As Ellie said on one of our many 4-wheel rides, “mom, isn’t this breathtaking!” I don’t know where she picked up breathtaking (maybe at pre-school where she usually picks up words like fart and awesome???) but it was a perfect word to describe the beauty of Boulder Mountain.
My brother and sister both have dogs and hanging with the dogs is one of the things my girls look forward to the most about camping. My girls follow the dogs everywhere and are totally fascinated with them. Probably because their mean mom won’t let them get their own. Ellie is always asking for a pet. My reply…”when you are a mommy you can get a pet.” The funny part is that when I told her this she was overwhelmed with giddiness. She ran to her sister yelling “Add! Mom says I can get a pet when I’M a mommy!!!!” :) Whew…dodged the bullet there. Since it will thankfully be a while before she’s a mommy and has her own pet, my sister’s and brother’s dogs will have to do.
Love this picture. THE GREAT STARE DOWN. Austin’s dog (Sage) clearly doesn’t know who she’s messing with. 
My cute Aunts always bring a pinata for the kiddos. Carly and I loved this part of Boulder Mountain when we were little (we’d spend the whole camping trip assessing and trading our loot). It is so fun sharing the tradition with our girls. 
My little Ellie thought fishing was cool for about 5 minutes and then just wanted to hang with Aunt Carly and eat snacks and hear stories. Aunt Carly always tells the best stories…usually about when the two of us were little girls. :)
Addie was my true little fisherman this year. Love these pictures of her – with her catch of the day – in her sister’s shoes that were two sizes too big – that she insisted on wearing.
Ahhhh…yummy, greasy, fattening food is absolutely essential for a good camping trip. I LIVE for dutch oven potatoes. LIVE for them. They always taste the best in the mountains. Maybe it’s the dutch oven, maybe it’s the high altitude, maybe it’s all of the bacon and onion, or maybe…just maybe…
it’s because the men are the ones doing all of the cooking that makes everything taste especially good. Yup…I think that’s it.
{FAMILY}
I’m not much of a “quote” person, but I heard a quote the other day that I really liked. I heard it from my mom who thinks she heard it from a commercial for CSI Miami. (HA! great – right?) Anyway, the quote was “make the most of the moments you share with the people you care about.” And THAT is exactly what this camping trip was all about.
I totally agree with you about camping-I’m not such a fan of roughing it. Although Corey’s family always decides to camp way to far away from civilization for any other options. I guess that’s why we don’t go very often.
Love it!!!! Looks like you had a great time. Next time you’re in Utah and you’re riding 4 wheelers, make sure the little ones have helmets on… the tickets are RIDICULOUS!!!! And plus, you know, it’s their head. But the ticket should be a good motivator too!!!
I made it to the end…maybe because I was bored (at 11:20 at night!!!! I should be in bed!), but definitely because I care about your family!!!! We’re camping this week, and I have no option but to be in a tent!!! Ugh! I love seeing all of your family together!!!
I was wondering how long it would be before I got a helmet comment. :)
My parents worked for the gov’t for a few years on the mountain up by Manti and it’s a favorite thing of all the gov’t guys to get the ones without helmets, they will make you go and get your car to take the kids back to camp!!! Crazies!!!! And about Anna? I would die without her!!! I know you have one of those too!!! Aren’t we lucky?
I’m totally a glamper!! The only time I’ve ever slept in a tent were the 3 years I went to girls camp! The closest my family ever came to camping was staying in a house boat!! So, I guess you could say my entire family would be considered glampers!
I totally missed out!! I’m so glad everyone had fun though. 2 more weeks and I’m done with stupid summer school forever. Maybe I’ll glamp next year… (yeah right, like Austin would allow that)
Erin, I can’t believe you ditch out and go to a hotel :-) Looks like fun. Loved the pictures of Claire-she is getting so big!
I never pegged you and Car for the camping type! Looks like your cute girls loved every minute!
Looks like you had more fun than we did! Food looked better too.. It was fun to visit with you and catch up a bit.. Your family is so cute. We hope to meet Dayna next time.
Looks like you guys had a great time camping. The girls are getting so big, I love all of the pictures. Tell Carly “Hi” for me.
Great post Erin! It looks like it was a blast.
Looks like fun! I have to a agree, a daily shower makes camping A LOT better!
Love this post Erin! So glad Kenny enjoyed his camping trip and you enjoyed your glamping trip. Which by the way, I think you have a fabulous thing going. No need to give that up. I’d be right there with ya. Great pictures. And I just love who you look as cute as ever in your “camping” pictrues. Glad you guys had such a fun time!
Oh and I love Ellie’s enthusiasm about getting her own pet when she’s a mommy. We had a little experience with Pierson’s buddy wanting one of our kittens. he knew his mom was alergic and it wasn’t going to happen, so he asked Pierson if he could have one of the kittens when he was a dad and had his own house. They both thought it was a great plan. I loved it! Kids are too funny!
You guys are always having so much fun, I love your blog. Ya, I went private on the blog. I know it is annoying to have to check private blogs all the time since they don’t pop up with the new post. I hate that about it. Tell Carly hello from us. Just love ya Erin.
Erin I loved all your pictures! What a darling little family you have and it looked like you had a fun time camping (even if a hotel is your idea of camping) I miss having you around here – don’t you think it’s time to move home yet? Love you!
Well, that looks fun. Those mountains are beautiful and it looks like you have a wonderful family to belong to. I like that I am not the only one who tells my kids that they can have their pet when they are parents—I always add when they are married as not to get pregnant at 15 just so they can have a pet. Just a little tip from Mic at no cost to you!
Looks like a blast, I picture a lot of sarcasm and wittiness on your family trip.
PS I need to learn how to do those pictures of 4 together.
What a fun trip and I just love you family to pieces. Great to see pics of Car every once in a while too. I’m headed to St. George injust a few more weeks. Can’t wait!!!
I taught my YW some “glamping” skills this past weekend at Girls Camp… at my cabin. (One bathroom for 10 people… now that’s rough!)
hi i came across your site and looks like youve enjoyed camping your kids are adorable.. will surely plan something like this in the future..thanks!
At first glance I saw how perfect you looked…even when camping and was amazed, but then read on to find you are quite the ‘glamper’!! Now that is MY way of camping, too!! Much better when you can shower and put some makeup on!! Your trip looked like so much fun!
I totally thought about the helmet too!
This post made me a little teary…could be because I’m totally tired right now…could be because you have the cutest family!
By the way, your photography is getting better and better. Great job Erin!