2nd Annual Clark Family Camping Trip

Well, we survived yet another camping trip. (Barely!) We decided we really do love to camp. I just think we need to do so when Halli is a little older and also we need to try and not go when it is fall and the temps fall below freezing at night! Really though, we all had a great time!

We left on Saturday morning since Cauley had the morning off from football for fall break and headed up to Prescott. We got there shortly before noon and luckily got a camp spot. (seriously, we waited for the people to finish packing up their camp and leave for like 20 minutes!) This year we camped at Lynx lake and I highly recommend it! It was literally 4 minutes from the Costco in Prescott meaning we could be to the Walmart within 10 minutes from camp! Yet, we were still very remote and definitely in the mountains. (We heard 2 coyotes and 1 elk in the night.)

This is our campsite looking down from where we parked our car.

This is where Halli would have liked to spend all of her time! She was absolutely filthy when we got home and gave her a bath!

After we set up camp, we called Aunt Gerry and had her meet us at the all you can eat Chinese Buffet in Prescott (right by the Costco). Our kids really love that place so they wanted that for lunch. It was nice to go sit down and eat and talk with Aunt Gerry. Then we headed to the lake.
 Even though our campsite wasn't right next to the lake, we decided to make the most of it. Cauley rented a rowboat which only came with one oar! Lucky for us, it did have a small motor on the back that got up to 5 mph!

The boys sat at the front and were VERY hesitant upon take off. However, once we got going, they asked "Is this it? This is all it does?" Ha!

The beautiful scenery from the boat. The lake wasn't the cleanest ever, but the scenery was gorgeous!

Captain Cauley. He let everyone except Halli have a turn driving the boat.

Proof I was there. (I tried keeping Halli from throwing her life jacket overboard!) She really disliked wearing it!

 The boat ride was fun. We went all around the lake and then some. Our rental fee was for an hour so we made sure and used up that hour. One funny thing was we got stuck in one spot because it was too shallow on one side and the other had too much sea weed type plants. Cauley got out the one oar and got us out though!

After we had had enough boating, we went to Aunt Gerry's house and got us some firewood. The kids kept asking to play with different things, things they usually play with when we go visit her and I had to keep telling them "nope. We're camping." :) We also borrowed a few extra blankets, just in case. (We didn't ever use them though, but it was nice to know we had extras if needed.)

The sleeping part was horrible! Well, honestly, it was fine until about 11:30 pm when Halli woke up screaming. (Ear infection.) Anyways, she'd scream like that about every 10 minutes until almost 5 am. The funniest thing- about 1:30 am we were just laying down after getting Halli to sleep again when we hear "Battleship Command! Input positions." Then we listened (unwillingly) until around 4:30 am as our neighbors just over from us played electronic battleship. Yes, you heard right. We could hear everything just perfectly fine. The frustrating part was they didn't really know how to play. "B-5-INVALID, B-5-INVALID" and then they'd get mad at the game because it wouldn't do what they wanted it to do. We also listened to his personal phone call to his daughter at 3 am. Really people? It did make me laugh both then and now, but seriously! By the way, it dropped below freezing that night. Luckily, we planned ahead and we all stayed comfy and warm. Well, maybe not comfy for Cauley and I. Halli basically kicked us out of our bed and took that over!

Drinking hot chocolate the next morning.

This is me, hunkered down and the little purple hat you can barely see is Halli's head. See, she is taking up our whole queen size mattress! You can see how big our tent is in this picture. It fits 2 queen size mattresses, a pack and play, and all of our bags and blankets and coats. (The kids slept on the other side, down by our feet.)

A rare thing from Halli this camping trip- a smile.

D-Man, you are cool! White powdered donuts for breakfast.

 Once Halli and I got up we had to really hurry and get ready for church. I looked like a polygamist because I wore a long sleeved t-shirt, long black skirt, and my tennis shoes. The rest of the family didn't look much better. BUT we did make it to church with Aunt Gerry. Thanks Aunt Gerry and Victoria for not being so embarrassed that we sat by you. At the end of Sacrament Cauley saw someone he knew and we said hello. We were explaining that we came from camping and she said "I was wondering why it smelled of camp smoke!" Hahahahah!

Back at camp we decided to go for a Sunday hike. We went about 5 minutes down to the lake to the place we got stuck in the boat the day before. We skipped rocks for a little while and then made the 4 mile hike around the lake. (At least that's what the sign said.)

Dallin skipping rocks right where we got stuck the day before

typical

Taking a break

Ornery girl and Daddy

Finally to the paved part!

One of a few bridges we crossed

They really are best friends!

The marshy part at the end. Wait- where's Halli?

Even though we planned on staying and had paid for 2 nights, we definitely didn't want a repeat and our game playing neighbors weren't leaving so we decided to stay until dark and then head home. We packed up, made our dinner fire, ate, and then headed home to sleep in our own beds. It was fun, but Halli wasn't. We love being outside, getting dirty, and most of all seeing this beautiful world that was created for us. I love doing things like this and hope the memories we made will last forever!