Each year, Bob's family goes on a camping trip. We take turns planning, organizing, and executing the trip for everyone. It's a BIG job and one we don't look forward to doing. Guess who was in charge this year?? YEP! Bob and I!
We decided to go to the Monte Cristo campground north of Pineview Reservoir. We'd heard from friends that it's a great campground, minus the flies and mosquitoes. We scouted it out a month or so ago and decided it would be a good place for a large group, tents, trailers, and a lot of cars. The group site included a cement fire pit with benches around it, six LONG picnic tables, a grill which we could use with charcoal briquettes, water faucet, and flushy toilets! We brought up our own Camp Chiefs and dutch ovens as you needed to prepare meals.
Each family was in charge of providing a meal for the group. It worked out well and we had a lot of GREAT food! Thursday night, Dave and Joan's family made Navajo tacos. Friday breakfast, Dan and Sherrie's family made breakfast burritos with eggs, hash browns, sausage, cheese, and salsa. Lunch on Friday, Mark, Julie, John, and Angie's families brought mango chicken burritos. Dinner that night, Bob and I made sloppy joes, "trek salad" and chips. Breakfast on Saturday, Mom, Chris, and Woody brought cold cereal, muffins, and fresh fruit. Each night, a group was in charge of bringing treats for the camp fire. The first night, we had biscuits and marshmallows done in the fire. YUMMY with honey butter! Friday night, we made three dutch oven cobblers: apple, peach, and blackberry. John couldn't handle the idea of cobbler without ice cream so they went to Woodruff and bought some. FABULOUS!!
Thursday night, we set up a projector and showed a movie,
Cars, on a sheet. It was really fun watching an outdoor movie.
All in all...we think it went very well and we had a lot of fun. There was a lot of relaxing done, visiting, playing cards, riding 4-wheelers/motorcycles, napping, and just plain enjoying a beautiful area (minus the mosquitoes, flies, and the incredibly rude NOISY neighbors in the next campground--who didn't stop until 12:00 the first night! Needless to say, the camp hosts had a chat with them and it was a bit better on Friday night.)
The flies and mosquitoes were bad so we set up our E-Z Up Shade and then added mesh screening to help keep the bugs out. Bob enjoyed "zapping" the bugs that made it on the inside with the battery-operated zapper. It was comfy and great for the dogs!
Nephew Randy holding his nephew, Kolter. Randy's been working in Alaska for the past three months and was excited to be home and LOVED taking care of Kolter! Such a cute uncle!!
Movie night on Thursday. It was too bad we had to set up early (before dark)...it was hard to see.
Relaxing for movie night. Reece thought it was easier to see the computer screen than watch it on the sheet. Mark and Randy relaxed in the recliners.
Bob and the puppies watching the movie.
Charlie LOVES Dad!! :)
LOVED hanging out with Kolter, Josh and Melissa's cute little boy. He was a fabulous baby throughout the whole trip. I think I heard him cry twice the entire time.
Nephew James and his little girl Evie. She loved playing with the puppies (even let Charlie kiss her a lot!).
John, Woody, and Steven trying to get the briquettes ready for the dutch oven cobblers. YUMMY!!
Mark, Mike, Melissa, and Dan playing one of the many games of "Hearts" while Julie watched. They taught me how to play the game...ya, basically, I sucked!!
Kolter hanging out in the "Big Boy" chair.
Angie did a great job of getting Kolter to sleep. (It looks like John was asleep too but he just blinked...)
Sitting around the fire Saturday morning, trying to stay warm. (Little did we know how HOT it would be when we got home!!)
Joan, Grandma Denson, Brook getting her hair braided by Becky, Mike, Lacey, Emily, Woody, Angie holding Kolter. (Josh, Tom, Bob, and Melissa in the back left of the picture.)
All in all, we had a GREAT time and are grateful we don't have to do it again for another six years!! :)
