Camp Vernon part 2

Fall Break

October 2010

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CAMP VERNON

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Day 2 of Camp Vernon went like this...

Saturday: Homemade Belgium waffles from "Moms Diner"

Pack lunches for the hike

Morning Hike and Picnic lunch on top of the mountain

Getting these 10 kids packed up and ready for the hike was a little crazy... We got all the way there before we realized Griffin had no socks on and was wearing crocs... oh well, that'll work. And Lily DOES have 2 tennis shoes on above, though one is a little wet... We got all 10 kids in 2 cars ready to leave our house when I discovered Lily didn't have shoes. I ran back in the house with everyone waiting. After a frantic search for her other shoe I remembered it was in the washing machine. For some ridiculous "I have too many kids" reason... only 1 shoe had made it in the load. So I brought out Lily's shoes to Ashlin, 1 wet and 1 dry... and said, "Don't ask questions- you need to hold Lily's 1 wet shoe in front of the air condition vent all the way there so it dries". Ashlin got this job because she was in the passenger seat up front. However, she was in Bruce's car, not mine. So the whole drive to the mountain I watched her in the car in front of me hang the shoe out the window, instead of in front of the vent, which I think is actually a more effective way to dry the shoe... however I was stressed the whole drive watching her worried she was going to drop it! We only have 1 pair of tennis shoes for Lily... ha ha

But anyway, we made it... and here Sophie is not stressed at all about hiking the mountain, she's like, "Oh yah baby, this is how I roll... on my dads back!"

and then as the hike to the top drudged on... poor Bruce was carrying 2 kids for a little bit...

But WE MADE IT!

After a beautiful picnic lunch at the top with the 12 of us, our yummy lunches and some bees, we were headed back down...

Seriously, look how beautiful that view is above. We passed a few people with like 1 or 2 kids... who commented, "oh wow, you guys have your hands full..." Ha ha. It really did look like we brought a youth group up or something... ha ha.

And here is Sophie at the end of the hike, I think she looks a little more flushed then Bruce. She was such a good little hiker. :)

The saturday afternoon itinerary consisted of:

returning home for some "Rest and Relaxation"

However we didn't rest for long... because the evening activity on the itinerary was:

Order out for pizza and then Iceskating at Polar Ice

We did end up at Polar Ice a full hour before "Free Skate" started, ha ha, my luck... but we worked it out (luckily there was an outside mall 1 mile away).

Looking at the above picture makes me think of the song "Grace Kelly" by Mika... look it up, it was my favorite song at this time... and we introduced it to the Statens that night and listened to it over and over in the car. They loved it.

Sunday Activities:

Morning Worship 8 AM,

Lunch, Family Games

Chocolate Fountain dessert to drown our sorrows in that Camp is over,

and Departure

Oh yes... our church starts at 8 AM... and we got ALL 10 kids ready and to church on time! It was the first time the Staten kids had been to a Mormon church, it was a part of the "Camp Vernon" experience. They come from a great family that is devout Catholic and all go to Catholic school in Tucson. Zach, age 16, went to Priesthood with Dallin and Bruce and was called on to say the opening prayer (who calls on the visitor to say the opening prayer??) But anyway, Bruce told him he didn't have to.. but he said he didn't mind. So Zach said the opening prayer for Priesthood, and although it didn't sound like a "mormon" prayer... Bruce said it was very nice. Clearly they pray in their home.

Have we posted enough that we love the Statens?