Labor Day 2011 Camp Trip

Last weekend we decided to do an over night camp trip. Since it was a long holiday weekend, Mommy didn't have to work at all and Daddy took an extra day off to have an even longer weekend. So to beat the heat for a day we ventured up to the Payson area. We left on Monday, Labor Day and missed all the weekend traffic. It was perfect! As we were making our way to our first stop at Tonto Natural Bridge, we ended up with the 'Throw-up Twins' in the back seat. The steep 14% grade winding mountain roads were not a good match for the girls' tummies. About 2 minutes from the pay booth at the park, first Valentina lost it and then Angelina lost it! So after parking and getting them both cleaned up and changed we headed to check out the AWESOME site! View from on top of the bridge.

Carefully and hesitantly crossing the bridge!

Starting the hike to the bottom of the bridge.
About 5 minutes into the hike we had seconds thoughts about hiking the 1/2 mile, 200ft drop of a hike with 2 toddlers that needed to be carried, while seeing all the other EXHAUSTED hikers coming up the trail. So we stopped for a quick picture with the cool bridge in the background and decided we would have to come back when the girls are a little older and can hike it on their own. So we headed back up the steep windy road, with only one more throw up incident before we arrived at where we were going to camp. Lester was thrilled to be out from between the 'Vomit Twins' and the girls were glad to have their feet on solid ground!

We set up camp just before dark and had a good night with a campground all to ourselves!Sitting around the fire!

Lester's left over marshmallow, dirty camping face the next morning!

Hanging out in the tent reading books in the morning!

Bacon and eggs over the camp stove.


YUMMY! Perfect camping breakfast!

My 3 dirty little campers! I LOVE it!

One of our many hikes! Lester and his sidekick, Crash, leading the way on this one!

We sure do not travel lightly anymore these days! I remember when Joe and I used to go camping just the 2 of us in his little pick up truck and we used to sleep in the bed of his truck. The only ones missing from this picture are me (taking the picture), Chico is by my feet, and Crash is up ahead further than Lester. 5 of us and 5 dogs! Yikes!

It was nice hiking!

Lester crossing the stream.

Then deciding it would just be more fun to get all the way in!

The dogs LOVED the water also! Crash and Pearl had tons of fun fetching sticks out of the water!

Bootz just preferred to hang out on the bank with me and the girls.

Angelina with her serious mean muggin' face on here. The girls had fun figuring out how to throw rocks into the water! Fun stuff!

Lester striking a pose before we headed back to camp!

He was HILARIOUS on the hike back. Since his clothes had gotten wet in the stream he hiked back in wet socks and shoes and undies, with his back pack and hat on, along side his dog.....

singing "Where oh where has my little dog gone?"!

This kid is THE. BEST. Joe and I were in stitches filming and taking pictures of our crazy kid hiking along in the woods in his underwear with not a care in the world! LOVE him!

On our way home we made a stop at Sunset Point rest area after a storm had rolled through to take some pictures. Beautiful scenery!

The coolest sun dial ever!

It was kind of one of those trips were nothing seemed to go right....throwing up kids, too hard of a hike, hornets and ants at camp, a bit of rain as soon as you lay down to go to sleep when you had decided not to put the rain fly on, not enough changes of clothes for a 24 hour period. But all in all the kids had a great time, Lester just kept saying, "This is the best camp trip ever!" So it was all worth it in the end. Creating memories is what it is all about!