Camping in Texas

Somewhat last minute we decided to go camping this weekend with some people from our ward. I was a little hesitant to go because the boys had come down with runny noses, it was Easter weekend and we had a lot going on, and of course the money issue. And when I found out there was a fire ban so we couldn't do fire or charcoal, I was ready to bail. But we decided to just go for it and we are so glad that we did. It was FANTASTIC! Texas won a few points back which it needed to do because it had been waning on my happy list. So we headed out about 1 o'clock on Friday. We drove to Palo Duro, the Grand Canyon of Texas, which is about 2 hours from here. There are gonna be a lot of pictures folks : )  In my opinion, we got the very best campsite in the whole campground.

It only took about 2 seconds for Koyle to find a water puddle to play in. He played in it all weekend,which was great for him but meant he was super muddy.

This campsite was dirt heaven! And Texas dirt is dry and dusty and perfect for playing in.

The reason our campsite was the best is because it was nestled right against the cliff side in the back and there was this awesome little stream that ran through it in the back. The boys were in heaven. One nice thing about Texas water is that it doesn't come from snow so it was warm and we actually wanted to play in it.

 This was the view from our campsite.

I

I didn't know to plan on water (I thought we were having a drought, that was why we couldn't do fires) and I knew I wouldn't have enough clothes if they got theirs all wet. Needless to say I had brought 4 pairs of underwear for Matthew, and we used all 4. (Only one pair got wet from the river.) Matthew found this stick and held onto it the entire weekend.

Koyle's favorite thing was throwing rocks in the water.

While the dads went out mt. biking, we colored Easter eggs for the kids. The family we went has 3 girls and a baby brother. Matthew loves these girls and they played so well together. Cami was so prepared and had lots of fun things for the kids to do.We also went for a hike with the kids and the guys met up with us on our way back. There are a ton of fun trails around the canyon.

 That night we roasted marshmallows using our s'more maker kit (sterno can) and sat around visiting. Perhaps here would be a good place to insert the story of our tent zipper. Our zipper has been on the verge for a while but it was only the bottom half that was broken and we could always get it to work after a few tries. We got Koyle all ready for bed and went to leave when the zipper broke. All the way from top to bottom, it wouldn't zip. It was supposed to be pretty warm that night (low of 48) but not warm enough to sleep with our tent wide open. Justin found 2 safety pins in the first aid kit and some electrical tape in the car and we managed to pin and tape ourselves into the tent that night. Looks like it is time to start saving for a new tent!
The next morning was a little chilly. We were really missing not being able to have a fire. But I came prepared:

 We could hear the turkeys all around while we were in our tent Saturday morning. Justin saw 2 right next to the tent when he got up, and I saw one when I walked over to the bathrooms. Matthew really wanted to see a turkey so we went on a little turkey hunt...that turned into a kind of long turkey hunt. Mom and Dad spotted a few but Matthew was never able to pick them out. But after breakfast, these guys came strutting right through our camp. It was awesome! I think it is the first time I've ever seen a wild turkey.

Notice the dirty pants here. Dirt is a good word to describe this camping trip.

 Love their cute faces, dirt and all!

 Saturday morning while the dad's went out riding again Cami planned a little Easter egg hunt for the kids. She also put out little prizes which was a painting activity that they got to do after the Easter egg hunt.

 This was our only real Easter egg hung this year aside from what we did Sunday morning in the house, so a big thanks to her for putting it together.

After cleaning up camp and eating lunch, we drove over to a trail head for a little hike. Matthew thought wearing dad's camelback was pretty cool. And notice the scenery? A first since we've been here. I bet it is even more beautiful when the trees leaf out.

 After the hike we let the kids play in the water a little bit to cool off our feet. It was about 85 degrees, and NO WIND...beautiful weather!!

 I decided Spring is a good time to camp in Texas for a few reasons. One, this water will all be dried up and gone in the summer. Two, the weather wasn't too hot. And three, it was cold enough that the spiders and snakes weren't really out. Our friends said last time they came they saw a huge tarantella by their car. We all know spiders and snakes are not my thing. So I think I will stick with spring, and perhaps some fall camping here.

 Our friends the Cliftons. They have one year left in their Orthopedic residency. Proof that the end does come.

 Family photo! Although Koyle kind of blends in.

 The drive home was peaceful because both the boys were wiped out. I couldn't help but take a picture of this town's sign:

 And the clouds were so beautiful. I do love the blue skies and fluffy clouds here. Justin was laughing at me and said, "All you got to do is get her out of Lubbock for a day and everything becomes beautiful again!"

We got home about 5 o'clock, unloaded the car, and started on the pile of laundry. We had such a good time; I don't think this post really captures how refreshing it was for our family to get out and do something we love. I think the boys felt the same way too. And stay tuned for the rest of our Easter festivities...