4th Year Hiker

I can't believe RaLee is a 4th year this year! She was excited about it but not as excited as I remember my other girls were to be going. She is such a "Diva" that she doesn't like the packing, planning or preparing that comes along with it. She did, however, get very excited when we went SHOPPING Wednesday night to get the rest of the items she needed before that evenings mandatory "pack check". Now Crystal was packed two weeks before the hike and talked about it all year and I remember Amanda and Jessica also being excited although not quite as prepared as Crystal was. But even with those two I didn't feel like I was pulling teeth to get them to pack up! So with that said I was VERY excited to finally see her put her PACKED gear on the trailer! At least waking her up at 4:15am this morning went better than I thought it would so I think she was excited but didn't want to admit it. Gosh I love girls camp they always come home with such sweet spirits and attitudes.

So here she is leaving the house bright and early this morning!

Loading her bags in the trailer. This stuff will go with the leaders to Camp LoMia where she will meet up with it tomorrow night at the cabins.

An excited bunch of 4th years!
Receiving last minute instructions before the prayer No smile for mom yet...gotta love teenagers!

There it is!
Finally loading her back pack on the trailer! I swear they should pass out awards to the moms at this point!
Last hug from dad and still smiling
The girls are drivng to Pine and hiking to Fossil Springs. They will pitch their tents, swim, hike, eat and sleep. Then hike into camp Lo Mia tomorrow and hopefully have a good testimony building experience the rest of the week. She will return home on Wednesday. Now she refused to take her good hiking shoes I bought her to wear on her pioneer trek. You know the ones that were good for some dozens of miles on her trek last spring...the ones that gave her ZERO blisters and cost mom and dad a small fortune! Instead she insisted on wearing this years CHEER shoes! No I'm not kidding! So I almost hope she comes home with a blister or two...oh yeah about that...she also refused to take the mole skin and blister repair kit my other girls took and were so grateful to have. Does that make me a bad mom to hope she gets a blister? Hmmmmm...... What I'm really hoping is that she has the time of her life, that she will always remember her 4th year hike and that she comes home with a stronger testimony of the Gospel and our Heavenly Father...of course a blister or at least sore feet would be nice! Oh and yes...I cried a tear or two to see my last daughter leaving on her 4th year hike!

Memorial Weekend in Photo's

We couldn't decide what to do this weekend that would be cheep as all of us are on a tight budget. We really wanted to go camping but decided we couldn't afford it so we improvised...

First we had a BBQ with all the kids and my brother Mike and his wife Kathy. This is my brother Mike with Baby Isabelle

Uncle DJ met Izzy for the first timeThen Jayden was riding in one of the toy cars and took off her shoes. She was peddling with one foot and dragging one on the cement. Look at her poor little toe!

Then Crystal, Spencer and I each set up our tents in the backyard. We roasted marshmallows, made smores and to top it all off Bro. and Sis. Davenport came by and made dutch oven peach cobbler for us! We also set up a television in the back yard and watched movies in the dark.

All ready for bed

Kaitlen and DJ slept with grandma in her tent. Teele and RaLee opted for their beds in the AC. But as it turned out the weather was beautiful!


Morning time came very early thanks to the sun and the neighbors roosters. I have this picture of Kaitlen because it was the last one I got to take. Right after this she went back into the tent to get something and tripped at the tent door and guess what? She hurt her wrist! I iced it for a couple hours then called her Jessica and John and gave them the bad news. They picked her up and spent the next several hours in urgent care. They put her in a half cast/splint but the DR. couldn't tell for sure if it was broken so a radiologist will call them Tuesday with the official results. Poor kid! The Dr. did say it was sprained for sure and was told she couldn't go to the lake on Monday.Then Monday we borrowed "Tow Maters" boat and went to Saguaro Lake.
Royal

DJ

RaLee & Crystal

William...he started out not too sure about the whole boat thing

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this picture! Teele cracks me up...I tried to talk him into his swim shorts and T-Shirt but NO WAY! He was going to sit in the boat while the kids swam but finally took of his boots and walked to shore.

Will & Wayne with some sun screen...too cute

Royal & DJ

Royal was so sweet to carry Crystal to and from shore. She still can't get her foot wet for another week or two.

Teele

I loved the scenery

Then we went to eat lunch and met Amanda, John, Trey, Jaden and Izzy

Jayden was telling grandma all about her sore toe and why she was wearing a sock on it.

William fell off his desk on the last day of school. It resulted in a small cut and a shiner.

Wayne LOVED the boat

Then Aunt RaLee took Wayne tubing

DJ took Trey tubing. This little boy is a thrill seeker he loved it and kept wanting us to go faster!

Isn't he just the most handsome little guy you've ever seen?

Amanda

Amanda and RaLee decided to tube together

Then their tube flipped and threw both of them in the air

It took a bit for them to surface again

Jayden was such a drama queen. She was so worried about everybody that got in the water.

RaLee was going out "one more time"

Royal talked her into riding on her knees...bad idea

This was taken just before her tube flew into the air and she slammed the side of her face onto one of the handle bars. She blacked out briefly and of course Crystal and I started screaming. It really was a scary thing to watch and we are so lucky she wasn't badly injured!
She said the next thing she remembers was Amanda pulling her up. She's trying to catch her breath. She ended up with a badly bruised cheek and a huge head ache.
DJ tubing...where else does a 6' 4" man put his legs? Cracks me up. Gosh are we white or what?
We were getting ready to leave and William who didn't want to get into the boat in the beginning begged to stay longer. He LOVED IT! I told him we needed to go and that he was tired. He exclaimed, "I am not tired!" Well he fell asleep the minute we headed for home. Here he is sleeping DROOL and all! We had a very nice Memorial weekend. We had one bruised cheek, one skinned toe and maybe one broken bone...not bad for a Reidhead get together!