2011 Annual Kelly Family Camping Trip

Dave and I love camping! That was one thing I wanted to make sure my spouse loved, was camping. I grew up camping and loving the outdoors and wanted my kids to love it also. Marcus had a blast!! Except for at night time, but by the third night we figured it out and he slept through the night. Dave's family always goes up during the 24th of July. Last year I was in labor and delivered Marcus on the 24th of July so we didn't make it up with the Kelly's camping. My family went up two weeks after Marcus was born and I wanted to go so bad but knew a newborn, even in a trailer, was not a good idea. So last year we didn't get to go camping at all. I was really sad. So this year I was so excited for all of our camping trips, the Kelly's being the first. The family was so nice to move it to a week before so we could have Marcus's birthday on his actual birthday this year, Thanks Kelly's!! We went up to Upper Stillwater by Duchesne and by the Dam. It was so much fun and relaxing. At least three or four times a day I would just close my eyes and breath in the fresh air and look around me and marvel at how beautiful it was. There is something special about camping. Other than a long detour on the way there and a lost key to the truck we finally got up to camp and started our vacation in the mountains. So anyways, enough of my rambling, here are some great pictures.

 Marcus had never played in the pack n' play before because we don't have one, but it was a life saver to have (thanks mom and dad for loaning yours out) up camping. Marcus loved to play with his cousin Caleb

 Toby made it all the way up there, he hates riding in cars and he panted the whole 3-4 hour drive, but once he was there he loved it. As you can tell he sleeps a lot.

Our camp, it was shaded and we had a good view of the dam

 I brought up some bubbles and Marcus LOVED them!! He would get really excited and drop his jaw and wave his arms. Grandma and Grandpa Kelly were so cute with marcus

 We had fun with the water balloon launcher (a Randall camping tradition that I have carried in to the Kelly family) and Marcus loved his little stroller we bought before we left on KSL for cheap. He loved going on walks around the campground with mom and dad

 We went for hikes up along the mountain over the dam and by the lake. Dave and his brother look so cute with their little boys in their hiking backpacks

 Marcus loved this backpack we bought before we left (again, thanks to KSL), Dave said it was great to carry him in and Marcus loved being so close to daddy

 The dam with the waterfall, it was really loud so it created some great white noise which was great for when Marcus was sleeping or took naps

 Who wouldn't want to see this kind of a view, beautiful

 The crew hiking

This is my favorite picture of the entire camping trip, my two boys!!

 Our cute little family by the lake up above still water dam

 Dave's sister Megan and her son Cooper

 Dave's brother James, his wife Tiare and their little boy Caleb

I hope he continues to like camping!!

 This chair was the best purchase we bought for Marcus, we got it here for Marcus for Christmas and it did not dissapoint. It was perfect for Marcus to eat in. Unfortunately he did fall forwards in it when we were setting up camp and he got dirt all over his face and in his mouth. I was too frazzled to take a picture but it would have been cute. He was tough.

 Here is the upper still water dam. It was beautiful!!

 The whole family, if you look closely you can even see Emily (dave's sister in the pink) pointing to her husband in the water fishing. She just put her finger up and was pointing right at him when I took the picture :)

 Toby had fun with Emily's dog Murphy

 Blowing more bubbles with mommy, don't you love his face

 Relaxing at camp

 Camp

 Our tent

 Marcus was a trooper sleeping in a tent for a one year old. He didn't sleep well the first two night and I didn't think we could make it another night but Dave said he would get up with him and fortunately he slept through the night except for one time. We bought a tent heater at Walmart which was a life saver!

 The ride home was long but Toby and Marcus were troopers. We got a flat tire on the trailer on the way home and we were so lucky to have found a spare just at the last minute before we left. (tender mercies)

 This is the trailer that Dave put sides on with the help of his brother James, they were up until 1 in the morning the night before we left making it so we could easily get our stuff up there.

Hooray for going home and having a shower!! We loved our camping trip with the Kelly's and look forward to next year!