Fun in the Sun...meaning...CAMPING!!!!

Okay. So we finally got to go camping and it was AWESOME!!! I mean. Camping is pretty epic no matter who you go with or where you go but I like to think our camping trips are the best. We went up to Cal-Ida campsite right near the Yuba River and it was amazing.

2 campsites.
3 tents.
4 days.
3 nights
6 littles.
2 tired grown ups.
1,000,000 mosquitos.

Doesn't get much better than that! We settled right in, set up camp and the adventures began. Of course with all of us there are moments of fear, arguing, and so on but honestly all the kids did soo well. They broke through some fear barriers, became a little more rugged and showed me especially that they are a tough little bunch. We had a great time and although the day of packing up was a little rough, the trip all together was pretty dang good. I love our little family and the memories we get to make.

I did also see the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) and I have decided for sure that sometime before I am 40 I will take a week long or month long hike on it. Just me, a backpack and maybe some company. Either way. How exciting!

So now onto the pics and such to just SHOW you how great of a time we had. Not as many pics as normal because to be honest, I was caught up more in the moments and being behind the camera wasn't the first thought :)

Carina drove for a bit, until she almost killed us. Then I took over. 

Coolest rope swing ever near our campsite. 

 I am actually learning to L-O-V-E the random faces in our group pics!

 Aidan was the only other one brave enough to get on!

 

 

 Pano setting on the iPhone is awesome in these. Click on these pics to see them fullsize. So pretty!

 Honestly. My man is hotter than yours.

 When you gotta go you gotta go and Rian ALWAYS has to go!

 I swear they were having a good time!

 Aidan was a huge fan of the gold mining. We didn't find anything but not for loss of trying!

 Cool waterfall near our campsite.

 Tyler. Pose. Ha! This kid.

 I didn't even know lakes existed that prohibited swimming. Thank you Sardine Lake for disappointing.

 We stopped at a mine and took a tour. Not bad. We did see bats. That was cool.

 Christine said it was sooooooo easy I could do it while camping. So I tried. It worked.

 last but not least. an epic pajama pic. She gets her style from me.

 

 

 

 

Although the camping trip has been the highlight of the summer so far there were also a few other things we cannot forget so here are the pics from a few other random days as well!

 

 

Carina, Jared and I played in a Softball tournament. We dusted off the old gloves and gave it our best college try! We didn't suck.

 

We celebrated the 4th the same as last year with only two littles only this year we went to Downtown Suisun City and it was AMAZING! They fireworks were literally right above us. So fun!

 

 I finally got to see Bubs play 2 t-ball games. So cute. He did awesome.

Pinterest struck again and we built a console table. By we I mean Jared. haha. I decorated it. 

 

Not often do I catch some super cute moments but this was just too adorable to pass up. Jared teaching Aidan how to BBQ. I seriously think my guy is amazing. 

 

Recitals. Cornish Christmas. Snow.

Already in the last 7 days a couple things have occurred. Laneya and Rian had their Christmas Recitals. Tyler had his Christmas Recitals and we all took a trip up to Grass Valley! Jared and I were both unable to attend Laneya and Rian's recitals however I got videos and pictures and for that I am grateful. Almost as good as the real thing. Almost. Not really. Aww who am I kidding. It sucked not being there! That same night Tyler had his band concert and we were able to make it to that and since it was a spaghetti feed also we in a weird way got a random 'date night'. These days with 6 kids you date when you can. Ha!

All 3 of them did spectacularly and I am glad that I got to enjoy all their musical talents. Some from a distance and some right there in front of me. Next year hopefully there is not a major California alert of Stormageddon that causes me to be at work mandatorily on a day I would have otherwise had off in order to attend all the festivities.

FYI. Stormageddon. You were lame. I could have easily driven in your pathetic excuse for 'high winds and heavy rainfall' the next day.

Here are a few pics and videos from each kiddo and I will post in age order from youngest to oldest as well..that's how we do everything in our home to keep the peace.

Rian Holiday Performance 2014

 

Laneya Holiday Performance 2014

Tyler Holiday Performance 2014

 

 

 

The holiday fun did not stop there! The weekend consisted of a trip up to Grass Valley. Now keep in mind that as I mentioned before, Stormageddon had already blessed us with plenty of rain but then it decided to keep blessing us and in a weird way somewhat ruined our trip to Grass Valley but also made it even better. It ruined it slightly by scaring away some of the vendors that we could have seen at Cornish Christmas but then it made it better because all the rain and cold meant SNOW! Yay!! We braved it for an hour or two in Downtown Grass Valley and walked into a few stores, got some hot chocolates and did still have a pretty good time. The 4 younger kids that night stayed with Grandma Lou and the older kids stayed with Jared and I in a hotel. It was our first hotel stay so of course we had to document! Haha.

 

That Saturday we woke up what seemed like 'late' but I guess was actually just a normal day and headed downstairs to a yummy continental breakfast and then off to Grandma Lous to get everyone ready and off to the snow we went! Although we have to take two cars everywhere and the poor kids gave Jared a run for his money (or patience as it may be) on Friday when we drove up, I ended driving them all to the snow and he drove with his momma. The kids had a blast and he got some kid free time. We stopped at the first hill we saw and off we went to get cold and wet. About 5 minutes in we broke our sled (thank you to my big ol' booty) but Grandma Lou brought another sled and we used that thing until we couldn't sled anymore. By we. I mean. Aidan. Really he had the best time sledding even though the rest of us went about once or twice.

Speaking of Aidan he was a trooper. He had just gotten 6 of his teeth pulled three days prior and he was out there like the King of the Mountain. Brave kid. I didn't get a chance to post those epically gruesome pics so here ya go! For your stomach turning pleasure. One day he will hate me for posting all these. Hehe.

 

Okay now that the graphic pics of his teeth pulling are out there. Back to the fun trip! After sledding we all went down the  hill a way to the softer snow and had a few snowball fights, some tears (I mean...its not a good snowball fight if no one gets hurt!) and we finished it off with some snowman building and a few pics! I had a great time and I would hope that our kids will remember this trip until either our next one or maybe even next year. Big thank you to Grandma Lou as well for not only boarding our crazy kids for a night but for booking us a room and braving the snow with us. We had

a blast!

 

 

 

And of course a trip to Grass Valley is not complete without a pic of Blondie!