Let us go then, you and I: Twins' First Camping Trip

I still have a back-log of Michigan pictures to post--plus Uncle D's homecoming pictures--but I'll put those on hold for the moment to share some pictures of our camping trip this past weekend. We drove up to Flagstaff to camp at Lockett Meadow with Anna, Justin, Kezia, Daniel, and Lauren. Unfortunately the grandparents were hard at work on their floor project and couldn't join us.

Anna and Justin staked out a campsite earlier in the day, and we finally joined them Friday evening. They chose a lovely site overlooking the meadow and secluded from other campers. The clouds rolled away as we set up camp, and the weather was beautiful and cool Friday evening and Saturday. The stars in the clear sky that night were stunning. (Mom, I thought of you--you would have loved it!)

Lydia obliges Aunt Anna's request for a hug

Kezia and her Daddy

Kezia changed a lot in two months! She's cuter and chubbier and much more interactive, smiley, and talkative. She enjoyed sitting in the girls' clip-on highchair. Lydia and Abby enjoyed touching and kissing and talking to their little cousin!

Lydia and Kezia

Abby and Kezzie

Sweetie niece!

Kezia checks out her adoring cousin Abby

Isn't she just the cutest?!

We enjoyed plenty of good food and good company. Daniel and Lauren joined us later in the evening, and we lit a fire and ate soup.

Josiah had long talked of marshmallows, so we let him choose a stick and roast a couple. His excitement about camping was fun to see. The girls loved being free to roam, too, though they often tripped on the rocky ground. Lydia ended up with yet another black eye.

Abby found time to do buckles

Uncle Justin took Lydia and Josiah exploring around the campsite

Josiah collected "seeds" to pour on people

Abby loudly told Kezia about the "ducks" (actually penguins) on the clip part of the portable seat

As anticipated, unfortunately, the actual camping (i.e., sleeping in tents) wasn't glorious, and our little ones are not born campers. Kezia, Lydia, and Abby kept us parents up most of the night. Poor Anna came off of several days of little sleep, since she had just been a doula at a long labor and birth the previous few days. Our girls are thrashers and both wanted Mama for comfort and warmth (= nursing all night, fighting the other to nurse, lying atop Mama, cutting off Mama's circulation, stealing Mama's sleeping bag, etc.).

We talked up Josiah's luck of sleeping in a tent with Uncle D, but when bedtime rolled around, Josiah wanted Mommy and Daddy--not Uncle D. He went down okay with Daddy in there, but he ended up in our already-crowded tent partway through the night when he awoke and wasn't pleased to find Uncle D his tent companion after all. (Sorry, Daniel! He still thinks you're plenty cool in other ways.)

Uncle Justin and Lydia

Kezia enjoying a seat at the table

Lydia liked Daddy's cool camping contraptions

I'm glad we finally made the trip happen--but it was a lot of work for just one night away! We came back with piles of dirty clothes, lots of stuff to sort through and put away, and (of course) some cranky kids. But they loved the chance to roam in the cool weather and aspens, and we all enjoyed seeing family. As we drove away, Josiah said pitifully, "I wanna go back to the campsite!" All the way down the mountain he mourned the loss of the campsite and Pa and Grandma's house.

Josiah "helped" Uncle Justin take down the tent

In a few years I think we'll have happier campers (and parents)--so I hope we have many more opportunities to camp together! Next time "Lil' 'Lias" and his mama and daddy need to join us--along with Pa and Grandma.