Boulder, UT

About 10 years ago camping went from a cheap and easy getaway to a stressful and somewhat costly outing.  Adding children seems to do that to a lot of things...... But their addition also brings much more than that....  like a chance to make some pretty great memories.

With this weekend being one of our last acceptable family camping weekends we set off for a stressful and somewhat costly outing..... our destination.... Boulder UT.  This is one of Monte's most favorite places, he seems to know all it's secrets, and we've been trying to make this trip for years..... it was worth the wait.
 

Stressful...... Absolutely..... hiking with a 4, 6, and 9 year old only a few feet away from 100 foot cliffs..... tent sleeping with lots and lots of rain in the forecast..... potential drownings in deep, deep swimming holes with one end dropping to a 100 foot water fall.... yes I was blissfully stressed.

Somewhat Costly..... Yep..... gas $3.89 a gallon..... Capri Suns, fruit snacks, granola bars..... emergency purchase of a sewing kit, to hopefully repair two torn suits..... multiple treat/bathroom stops..... the little things do comically add up.

Chance to make Some Pretty Great Memories..... Definitely.....  (Sorry so many pictures, it was so hard to choose.)

Stunning views.

Stream playing while setting up camp.

Hikes on sandstone and through silky smooth sand.

Cairn building.

An awesome desert oasis all to ourselves.

Explorations of upper and lower pools and falls.

Jumping into a true swimming hole.

Sliding down natures water slides (leading to a couple of torn suits, and a leech hitchhiker, but without that hole and exposed backside that leech would have stayed hidden much longer than he did)

Solidarity that allowed for complete acceptance of exposed bottoms.

Dancing under a waterfall.

 

 

 

 

 

These were put in by request

 

 

Tent camping in the rain.

Thankfulness for a 4-year old's ability to over pack-- who would have thought all those coloring books and markers would be so entertaining while waiting out the rain.

Reading aloud several chapters in our book 'Summer of the Monkeys'.

Fun creations made by a brotherly crew (The Project Manager, The Engineer, The Manual Laborer)

  

 

 

Visits to the Anasazi State Park Museum where you can earn your Junior Ranger Badge.

Breaks in the rain that allow for one last hike up a huge white sandstone boulder.

Both beautiful and gross discoveries. 

 

 

 

And who could forget the sad faced boy, when he realized scampering up a cliff is the easy, going back down is the hard......

And then.... Self Discoveries..... bottom scooting is a totally acceptable way to maneuver back down a slippery steep slope.......

 

 ..... he took his stumbling blocks and made them stepping (even if the stepping is on your backside) stones.....  up the cliff easy, down the cliff hard..... my beautiful family teaches me everyday..... really the best things come with some of the hardest work..... like packing a ridiculous amount of fruits snacks and tent sleeping in the rain.