Camping . . . Sort Of

We had planned to go camping this weekend with the rest of the bishopric and their families in Little Cottonwood canyon. We were really excited. This is a good time to take the boys camping. They are both old enough to play and sleep in sleeping bags through the night. We don't have an infant. I can still sleep on an air mattress as well as I would sleep at home.

Ian has been working non-stop for 3 weeks and he was really looking forward to having a little getaway. Make him feel like he's actually getting to participate in Summer. So he took Friday off and we headed up the canyon after lunch. It started down pouring as we were leaving Kearns and we chased the storm up the canyon. When we got to the campsite the rain had stopped and it was nice and cool and beautiful. The wildflowers were all in bloom and it was just so quiet. Luckily they had a few campsites left, so we picked one and started setting up.
We watched the big dark clouds blow over the mountain, rain on us for 5-10 minutes, then blow through. It was chilly and I knew we would be in for a cold night, but I was still hopeful it would be a relatively dry night. It was raining sporadically and then stopping. At one point after we had started the fire it even hailed. What?!?

After the hail all the clouds blew through and the sun came back out. There was blue sky and it was just gorgeous. We put our dinners in the fire to cook. By the time they were done it had started drizzling again. We decided to all go sit in the Wilson's giant tent to eat out of the rain. Good thing we did because it never stopped after that. We ate and chatted and the rain just got harder, the sky got darker, and the temperature got colder. The Wilson's tent was leaking and the boys were getting tired. I decided to take Weston to the bathroom with me and then get the boys into jammies and into our tent. Why have to go out in the rain more than once?

We got the kids into jammies and into their sleeping bags. Luckily our tent was dry, but the rain, thunder, and lightning were still going in full force. Davin was crying about being in his sleeping bag and about being cold. The Wilson's decided to go home since their tent was pretty soaked and still dripping. At that point I decided we should probably just head home too. Ian was really disappointed. I was too, but not enough to spend a long, wet, noisy night in a tent with 2 kids. Weston really wanted us to sleep in the tent all together. He was sad that we didn't. About 10 minutes after putting the kids in their car seats while we gathered up our soggy stuff they were out. We ended up getting home by 10:30 and getting a full night's sleep in our own beds.

It was pretty depressing having to unpack everything this morning after not feeling like we even went camping. Sigh. I guess we will just have to try again next summer. At the very least the boys will both be big enough that they can camp with Dad. We really did have a good time while the weather held. I think the thing I was most sad about was not getting to make smores (the rain put out our fire while we ate dinner in the tent) and talk around the fire. Maybe it will all work out to go another time.
In hopes of making up for a bust camping trip, Ian and I are going on a date tonight. We are going to go out to dinner and see Get Low with Robert Duvall. It looks great. I'll let you know. We are even doubling with the Wilson's. Should be fun. Ian got a new toy today too. A weed whacker! I know, so exciting. He is out there playing with it right now. :)

When we were unpacking and cleaning stuff out in the yard this morning Weston found a little grasshopper and was so excited that he could hold it. He asked me to take a picture of him with it and put it on the blog so his friend Makenzie could see it, so here you go.