campin' w/Dad

One of the reasons Peter likes camping up the canyon is that when you put your tent up, you can leave it there for up to 16 days. Which is a good thing since the first opportunity to actually camp didn't come along 'til Wednesday. Originally, I planned on camping. Autumn and I hadn't been camping yet here. But then something my friend said made me realize that I'd have to "squat in the bushes" to relieve myself (don't know why that fact didn't dawn on me previously) and I did not care to do that, especially when home is so close (another reason Peter likes camping up the canyon). Port-a-potties are about as "roughin' it" as I care to get! So, I suggested he still take Autumn to let her have the experience. Then, if it didn't go well, he wouldn't have to take her the next time. After Brandon's final baseball playoff game, Peter and the kids headed up the canyon...and I got the house to myself. :) It's always a bit odd how quiet it is when they're all gone. I think that's partly because it's such a rarity. Anyway, they had a great time...but Peter grew quickly tired of keeping tabs on Autumn ("come back here", "don't touch that", etc.) and she had a hard time going to sleep and then she woke up at 6am. Needless to say, she hasn't slept at the campsite since. :) ...Here are a few pics Peter took...

They wanted to go for a walk, so Peter decided to go check out the rock wall that's known for its climbing appeal. The kids are specks, and Autumn's looking at something on the ground behind her--it seems, but I like the fact that the boys have their arms around each other...and the reminder that nature is so incredibly grand...and that my children will always be little, in some respect, to me... :)

Another angle of the "wall"...can you see the boys???

Though this photo is a touch blurry, and Ethan's not looking directly at Peter, I liked it best 'cause Ethan's arm is around Autumn and Autumn has her arm reaching behind Brandon. It also reminded me of the 'sorta-stiff' pictures that my mom would take of us kids (and sometimes my dad) standing in front of our tent back in the day. Yes, Brandon's wet; Ethan threw a rock in the creek next to the campsite and splashed him.