Vacation 2014, Days 2 and 3, elaborated

We drove through Alamogordo around snack time, and I KNEW where we'd be getting our snack.  Heavenly!

 We were invited to a camp by some people in our church.  Their parents have bought the camp and are in the process of refurbishing it.  They are now open for business.  An advanced gun group was up there at the same time we were.  I was shocked that none of my little ones seemed to notice the guns strapped to each in their group.  Anyway, the camp was AMAZING and just what the doctor ordered!  It was so nice to get out of our element and breathe the cool mountain air.  The camp was rustic, and we fell in love!  It was absolutely perfect for our family, and that's not only because they cooked all our meals.  If we are going camping, forget the tent, this is how we want to camp!  We were the celebrities there, and the young staff showed us around and did all sorts of fun things with our kids.  A few minutes after we arrived, we got to meet the resident equines.

 This camp is not far from where I lived for my teen years.  It was so nice to smell the fresh smells and just to be in the gorgeous mountains.   We did lots of exploring.

Baby Roo got sick of being held all the time.  He had no problem with getting down and dirty.  Nothing phased him at all.  He nibbled on pine needles.  He crawled toward cow paddies.  He sampled sticks.  He felt the grass between his toes.

Cassia is our climber, and the boys do their best to keep up.  I think her long limbs give her an edge.

This is Zade's face of pure determination.  He was not about to fail in this tree climbing mission.  This is so Zade!!

See?  She could do it.

Pure pride in his accomplishment!

When Basia found we were going to the mountains.  She insisted on packing her survival gear.  I was a bit worried that she forgot to pack clothes and toiletries because her mind was on the fun.  She carried her pack everywhere and had the best time of any of us exploring the grounds on her own.  She couldn't believe we would let her wander.

 Here's the cabin where we slept.  It had a walled off front room for Jon and I (and baby and Edison at 2am).  The kids had plenty of beds to choose from.  There could not have been a better arrangement!  We think that we should search for camps around the country with dorms for when we travel.  This beats a hotel room by a mile!  My favorite comment about this room came from Soren.  He said that with everyone sleeping together, he would surely have good dreams.  Going to sleep, knowing all my kids were together, just a thin wall away, was the most blessed feeling!  All my loves together and loving being together.

And here's the picture of me beating Brishen at cribbage.  Oh, wait.  There's no picture.  I guess there is no proof that it happened any other way.

We got to enjoy a drenching afternoon rain, just as I had hoped.  I have great memories of the afternoon rains this time of year in these mountains.  Baby Roo was in love with the rain, as seen through our cabin door.  There was no keeping him away.  

We let Basia go out in the rain and explore some more.  

You can see that he got quite wet.  You can't see the huge smile on his face.  He loved every second of it.

 This is what sealed the deal.  This is what made this little vacation Basia's best to date.  She got to wear her dream helmet and explore some more on a 4 wheeler.  This is what she will remember the most.

 Each of the kids (and Jon and I) got a turn on the 4-wheeler.  I held my breath until the foster kids returned safely.  I don't know if there are rules against 4-wheelers, but I didn't really want to have to find out.  I also worried when it was my turn.  I just thought of how many kids I have, and I knew that I didn't have time to spend in rehab as they taught me to walk again after crushing my legs.  Yes, my mom did a good job of teaching me the dangers of these sorts of rides.

We also got a ride on this.  This one felt a lot safer, even though the driver was a little crazier!  We got to help him gather and distribute fire wood.  

She wants me to print out this picture so she can frame it and look at it every day. 

This trip was so relaxing, so beautiful, and such a good bonding experience.  We have not traveled anywhere at all in the last year.   I really can't believe it was that long, but it was.  We are starting to feel like a normal family for the first time in a very long time, and taking the kids to a couple places is a step in a great direction.

Vacation 2014, Day 4

Brishen headed out bright and early to join the youth group on their annual "Mystery Trip."  Even the parents are not told where the youth are going until they drive away.  The rest of us had a quiet(ish) day at home.  Basia and I did a little shopping, and the kids enjoyed exploring home turf again.