Hollemans Go Camping

Well, the Hollemans did sleep in a tent and get dirty and go un-showered and eat food cooked on a camping stove and even have a s'more (or three), but I would use the term "camping" loosely, since when it was all said and done, I think we spent more time packing and unpacking the car than we did actually using all the things that we packed.
Ya, we were only gone for approximately 26 hours.
And it was a 3 hour drive.  Each way.
But I have to say, it was not a bad time! We didn't plan to come home so soon, but after our first night in below freezing temperatures (with rain), it was clear that we Hollemans were NOT appropriately prepared for the weather.  I don't even think that the sun was up yet when Sean and I looked at each other and said "We are not doing that again" in unison.
Something about sharing a mummy bag with my 18 month old and his giant, wet cast (and my growing belly/shrinking bladder) who insisted on being uncovered (?!) yet attached to me (still nursing) made for one of the longest nights of my life...and I have had some long ones!

But even with the unexpected cold, it was a fun adventure and I am happy we made the effort to go.  After all, it was our first family camping trip!
(unless you count this...)

Our fan club, cheering us on as Sean and I packed up the car.  

How can you not be excited to go on this trip?

Starting off strong: both kids asleep within the first hour....total score!!

Even the first signs of rain were, er, um....exciting.  

This is supposed to be an adventure, right? :)

We made it!!

At the first sighting of campfires, Oliver immediately put on his "speakerphones" (headphones) to block out the scary sound of fire.  

Yes.  You read that correctly.  :)

Thankful for our Daddy who does not shy away from work.  Even in the cold and rain.  

Meanwhile, Oliver was still afraid of the campfires and preferred the safety of the quiet car.  Thankfully, Hayden Ganyo took the initiative to try and coax him out. 

And, before long, Oliver was too curious about the tent to stay away any longer.

The boys were so excited about their "cool, new tent" that they just had to share a hug!!

Feeling pretty happy about his choice to exit the car...camp grounds and little boys are just made to go together!  See Elliott exploring in the background?

A new love: obstacle courses

Ms. Halle!  

All of the Ganyo kids were super campers and helped Oliver to see just how fun camping can be. 

Camping with friends definitely made everything better :) 

No shoes, check! Endless dirt and rocks, check! Shovel, check! Nobody really watching me, check! 

Elliott was in heaven :)

And bonus: DOG!!!! (And not just any dog, this dog was strong and energetic but super friendly and let my boys chase him around endlessly) 

Yes, this was Elliott's dream life.

In addition to the most fun camping dog, the Rowes also had the coolest camping equipment, including this "camping kitchen".  We were all very impressed. :)

Home, sweet home...for a night :)

One of the highlights of the trip for me was making dinner along side Erica and Elena.  The rain stopped and the warm sunshine came out, Sean headed off to explore with the boys and I was free to cook dinner and enjoy the good company of friends in a beautiful setting.  

Like I said, Sean took the boys off to explore.  Elliott's definition of exploring is very sensory and apparently involves jumping into the lake.  With his cast on :( 

My happy outdoorsman did not seem to mind the cold one bit!

Charming scene, yes.  Convenient, no.  Those are Sean's one pair of shoes and Elliott's one coat.  Not a good start to a coooold night! Hahaha!

Dinner!

Dirty Baby.

It was fun getting to know these guys better :)

 Thank you for organizing such a fun trip, Ganyos!

Horseshoes.

One of the perks of a cold camping trip is extra opportunities to snuggle!

Hayden, from Oliver's perspective.

So we made it through the night and woke up eager to make the most of our second day, since we had already made the decision to not stay another night.  So we bundled up our kids and headed off in search of a good place to throw rocks in the water (per Oliver's request) and hot coffee from the general store (per request of me :))  It was COOOOOLD!!

Elliott's choice of stroller toy comes as no surprise :)

The park was beautiful.  

It actually felt good to my eyes to look at such a nice place- I really need to get out more!!

Only a short walk from our campground, we found this little gem.  

If it was warmer, I know my boys would have stayed here for hours.

And then Elliott fell in the water again.  I saw it this time and he basically took a running start to launch his rock and just didn't let go as he attempted to send it flying across the stream.  Poor guy!  Since his heavy jacket was soaked from the day before, he was in at least 4 layers of clothes which had to be removed.  And of course, his cast, still wet from earlier, was now soaking wet again...oh goodness me! 

It was also around this moment that we realized that we would not be staying for the rest of the day, since our child no longer had any clothes (or shoes) that were fit to wear.  Oh well, se la vie!! (or whatever it is you say :))

So we striped him down to his diaper, zipped him up into my parka and then bundled him back up into the stroller...and then made him pose for a quick family picture.  We had to get at least one!!

One of the best things about Sean is that no matter how chaotic/stressful the situation might get, he has the delightful ability to not let it ruin the whole experience.  We make a pretty good team, if you ask me :)

Not to let a little dip in the lake ruin our morning adventure, we took the long way back to the campsite and enjoyed all the beauty that surrounded us.

We returned to camp to find the Ganyo girls keeping warm in their Daddy's truck.

Exhausted from the long night, Elliott fell asleep on our walk and I just parked the poor guy in the sunshine to  keep him warm.  Oh, how I wanted to hop in there and join him!

The boys played in the slightly-warmer-than-the-outside car while Sean and I took down our camp and loaded up the car...again.

And last but not least, we finally got a good look at Mt. Lassen-  in line from the drive through at Starbucks on our way home!!

I know it doesn't sound like the most ideal camping experience, but we had good company, it was a beautiful place to be and like most unexpected changes of events, it was certainly memorable.  Stay tuned for more camping adventures with us- we have a WEEK in YOSEMITE coming this September and I cannot wait!!