The Good, the Bad and Poison Ivy!

Last weekend was the perfect opportunity to get away from it all. We went camping with three other families from Marianne's Girl Scout Troop.

Here are just a few of the VERY GOOD things about our camping trip.

Marianne had a great time with her friends and cousins. Here she is in the woods with Emma and Cammi.

Evan didn't seem to mind the lack of boys. Here he is with some of the cute Girl Scouts. His cousin Alyssa is up front.

There were lots of trees just perfect for tree climbing.

We went on a great hike led by Ranger Fernando.


He took us to a historic spot with lots of mortar holes used by the Native Americans.

Everyone tried their hand at grinding acorns.

Then we hiked to a great little creek to cool off.

Clear water + dirt = Mud, wonderful mud!

John and I even had time to relax!

Evan built his first fire! Foil dinners and s'mores never tasted better!

Our camping trip was practically perfect, but it was a bittersweet time for me. I had a fabulous time with John, Marianne and Evan, but our two big boys stayed at home. They both had other commitments and couldn't get away for two days. I realized that this is how it is going to be most of the time from now on. Ryan will be leaving home soon for college and then a mission and Aaron isn't far behind. Of course this is exactly how it should be. I want my kids to grow up to be independent adults, but I can't help remembering the days when I had four little campers.

Here are my cuties about nine years ago. It was our first day of homeschooling and my boys were a little worried about what to do when all their friends went back to school. So on the first day of school, we took a family camping trip. We had a wonderful time discovering how much there is to learn outside of a classroom. It's been an amazing adventure ever since!

My homeschool journey with Ryan is at an end, but I hope that learning will be a lifelong quest for all of us!

And in the spirit of education, here's a close-up of some poison ivy. Study this photo carefully. You never know when you might need to identify (or at least avoid) it!