This week we endeavored to ignore the pandemic by camping again! Although, I feel like it was boarder-line glamping. But it was still lots of fun!
We finally made it to Jordanelle to play at the Utah-beach! Our campsite had hookups so we had a fan going during the day and a heater on for the second half of the night. It was pretty incredible that there was an almost 40 degree difference between day and night!
Our Campsite 
How Bianca Does Camping
In order to camp with hookups you have to either have your tent on a teeny tent-pad (not pictured) or put it on the parking pad for trailers. Since our tent was way too big for the pad, and you can’t stake it to asphalt, Josh made these really cool PVC frame-type-thingies to structure it. Then we put our bags and things in the corners to keep it from blowing away. It worked great!
After getting all settled in on Tuesday afternoon, we went down to the beach and played in the water. Josh and I didn’t wear our swimming suits because we weren’t planning to stay too long. I joked to the kids that if they went too far out in the water they would be busted because then Josh would have to dive in and get his clothes all wet to save them. I had no intention of being prophetic; but only a few minutes later Fay lost control of the floaty (a giant watermelon popsicle :D) and started panicking. Josh, sure enough, ran into the water to save her. Fortunately, he had just deposited his phone and keys with me and Bianca in the shade tent. After saving Fay, he figured he might as well just keep playing with the kids. They didn’t mind!
After the Rescue
When we got all dried off, we took a little drive to Heber for dinner where we got burgers, fries and shakes from Granny’s and ate them at a nearby park. Best camping-dinner ever!
We slept well in our mansion-tent (once Helen and Portia decided to settle down for the night) and when we got up, the kids all played at the playground right by our campsite. After that and breakfast, we headed back to the beach to play in the water. We were the second people on the beach at 9:00 when we arrived; by the time we left at noon, it was super crowded! There were many highlights from the beach: turning little girls into little mermaids, eating yummy snacks, the rental of the stand-up paddle-board, more floating on the giant popsicle, and sleeping in the shade-tent (guess who)!
After the beach, we went back to camp for a HOT lunch break, then we took off back home. It was lots of fun! But, as I said to Josh, no matter how long or how fun a trip is, it always feels nice to be back home.
On Saturday, we met up with some friends up Big Cottonwood Canyon for a baby hike and a BBQ. It took us an amusingly long time to figure out how to get to Hidden Falls (I guess it really was hidden); but it was worth the effort!
Fay and Friends at the Falls 
Carter in a Crevice 
All the kids together!
As we adults were chatting and enjoying our dinner, we heard the kids start erupting with excitement followed by a very distinct rattling sound. Daphne reported “I first thought it was a sprinkler; but then I saw that it was a snake and I knew that it was a rattlesnake.” We got everybody away to a safe distance and watched as the rattler slithered through some trees and then finally away from our BBQ. It was a little freaky, a little strangely coincidental (as Tanner had just killed and eaten a rattlesnake days before), and a little fascinating. I’m pleased to report that we all returned home safe and sound with lots of good memories! So fun!
Maybe I’m just a brat; but even with all these fun things we’re doing, I still feel like there is this cloud of COVID-despair and suffocation hanging over me and all of life. And yet, simultaneously, I feel like there are so many ways that we are being blessed BECAUSE we’re staying home and together and BECAUSE there’s so much uncertainty out in the world. I’m grateful for the ways the Lord is blessing us and helping us grow! But, at the same time, I am thinking that it would be REALLY nice to have our world back. I know that one day this will all just be a crazy page in our history; so I guess, for now, I’ll try to keep on being patient and looking for the good.
Wish me luck. 🙂
I love how much you guys go camping! And Bianca looks like she is reigning over her little kingdom when she is in the shade tent 😂. I’m so glad the snake didn’t cause any problems! You might have had to beat it with a stick too like Tanner!
Elisabeth is looking 🔥🔥🔥!