Kingston Camping

Let me just start off by saying that those blueberry pancakes cooked over the open fire by my amazing hubby...simply divine. :)

blueberry pancake breakfast!

 And I also must say that it took our littlest camper only a matter of minutes to be friends with the dirt...literally...minutes. Like I've said all along, I love boys. :) 

Mason most certainly was a "happy camper"

There are so many different facets to camping--cooking, exploring, nightly campfires, hiking, and the list goes on and on. We Anderson's have a yearly tradition of camping in Kingston Campground which is in central NV and the boys love it because of it's variety of "jungle spots", a seemingly endless stream of water which allows for hours of creative fun, the founded mine we stumbled upon in years past, and all the variety of treasures that my boys somehow find in the midst of sticks, rocks, dirt, and the like. Believe it or not, this year, their very first "treasure" was a pair of dentures found hanging in a tree branch before we even parked the camper. Needless to say....we moved. ;) And no, I did not allow them to keep that particular "treasure." I'm sure those teeth are still hanging on that very same branch. 

Rather than give you the day-by-day play-by-play, I'll just allow the pictures to tell the stories of what our week looked like according to those varying facets of camping. I'll start with the cooking, which we did our share of and had a great time doing. I have to confess, that while camping, Andy easily becomes the cook of the family. I do my part--mainly my french toast part--but he has the knack and well, he can operate an open fire like it's nobody's business. I have a feeling over the years, the boys will soon learn and just maybe one day we can sit back and enjoy the smells of the food cooking without worrying about the smoke billowing in our faces while we squint to try and see if the meat is actually done in the middle. 

camp cook :)

steak fajitas!

french toast for bkfast

the "dump cake"

time to dig in!

soooooooo yummy!

simply deliciousness :)

   Before you wrinkle your noses at the thought of those words "dump cake", let me just say that it is pure goodness melting in your mouth...a little cake mix, add some butter, dump in a can of drunkin' apples, swirl in a swig of soda, and let the hot, fiery coals do the cooking. Is your mouth watering yet?? 

   A definite highlight to our camping adventures over the course of five days consisted of those outdoor explorations and hiking, a little picnic downstream, the boys building a bridge in our campsite, and we even happened upon a swing to the boys' delight during one of our drives.

mountain view

Last year, we hiked up the side of the mountain to find an old mine, literally in the side of the mountain. The boys claim it's a cave...so be it. AA & CJ insisted that we hike up there again to see if there were any treasures to be found...there were none. But Andy did venture in as far as he was able with his flashlight to the tune of Austin warning him in his rather concerning voice, "be careful daddy!" Even Mason made the little hike...hand in hand, smiles and all!

outside the cave/mine

exploring the inside

all my handsome Anderson boys!

hiking back down

bridge building

Austin and Carson on their little "island" as they like to call it

picnic lunch!

just us :)

Mason LOVED the water....even if it was freezing cold mountain water!

my handsome little CJ

just a-swingin'

The biggest part of our week-long camping expenditure was spending afternoon hours at the nearby reservoir, fishing, playing in the water, watching jets fly just above our heads, napping in the truck (that was Mason's daily routine at least), and basking in the vast openness of God's beauty surrounding us from every angle. It was peaceful, tranquil, hot :), and dare I even admit that I just might have experienced the bone-chilling mountain water from head to toe. It worked for a really quick semi-shower at least. It's the type of water where you just have to jump in and try to catch your breath when you come up for air...but somehow, you gasp, and it takes your mind a moment to realize that you are oddly used to the water but at the same time, just plain cold through and through with the permanency of goosebumps until you are in sun's heated rays again and you find yourself running out of the water as fast as you ran in. It's funny how when you're camping, "clean enough" is actually pretty clean. There may still have been dirt beneath my fingernails and even without shampoo my hair was somewhat comb-able, but it was water and it was refreshing. 

Austin found a wolly-worm

Mason's first reaction was to try and pull it apart....boys.

Carson loves to fish!

my fishermen

Mason was pretty content to just play in the water

going for a ride with daddy!

Mason checking out the fish daddy caught

Mason's afternoon nap spot...in the truck :)

Austin Alan

And last but not least is the nightly routine of campfires and some added camper fun now that we have that leisure. We were treated to Andy's renditions of western campfire stories, snuggles with the boys, lots of laughs, and more memories created. It's a definite summer highlight, this whole camping saga that we do each year...something that in the dead of winter, we find ourselves gazing outside looking forward to longer days and more fish tales to tell. For now, however, we relish in the amazing week we Anderson five had together, and praise God for allowing us to once again just...be....in His outdoor wonderment and beauty. 

Mason napping in the camper with daddy

doing a little coloring in the camper

Good morning!

Mason being super goofy one morning...we were all laughing super hard at him!

My boys ready to do some fishing

sitting around the campfire

snuggles!

story time with daddy

gotta have the glow bracelets!

getting creative...

my 3 camping boys :)

Controlled Chaos

I am intrigued by the fact that having three sons can sometimes cause people to put me in a small "Duggar" category just by a sheer quick glance. I quite often will get the "wow....3 boys" comment with wide and darting eyes and even a cock-eyed smile to boot! It's the underlying tone of sarcasm and almost pity-like way they talk about how it must be so crazy to have all boys. Crazy, yes. Busy...naturally. But, ahem, pretty blessed?? AMEN!! I've got my set line of response as "yep, it's busy but I wouldn't trade it for anything...I simply love it." There's something to be said about the sheer joy and satisfaction of being a mom to 3 boys and believe me, I'm glad that I was not in control of planning out my whens and what gender children I would have--God knew that I was simply meant to be a mom of boys. I love the nightly routine of wrestling with daddy after dinner, the simple game of jumping through a hula-hoop that will entertain boys for hours because it includes: running, jumping, the heightened possibility of getting hurt (aka...risk), and one has to at least exhale with a shriek before performing the actual act of jumping through the hoop. Yep....loud, busy, crazy, risky...and I'll take all of it. 

Mason walking through the hula-hoop

Austin jumping through

Hum...why do I foresee possible flamage attempts in the future while using this device?!

wrestle time!!! Mason LOVES to wrestle!

  There are times when it's fun to be a girly-girl and that's why I'm so thankful I have nieces with goldilocks hair to play with, nails to paint, and I still get to shop in the frilly and lace and pink section a few times a year for those special gifts. I must admit, however, that I've had long hair for most of my life and other than the sleek back pony-tail, you might not want me styling your daughter's hair. I was a sports girl while growing up (and still am) and I wasn't about to attempt to make my hair all purdy when the sweat would simply hold it in place nicely. Not attractive if you ask me. Don't think, however, that I don't like to have my nails done (they're hot pink as I type away on the keyboard), don't like to get all dressed up and dolled up (especially for my man), and be a little girly every so often (what girl doesn't like to giggle late into the night munching on chocolate and watching chick flicks...or a semi-chick flick??).


 Attempting to keep the Anderson house under controlled chaos is put to the test many a time, but the laughter far outweighs the cries, the hilarious stories my boys make up with their imaginations override the snide comment made when the sharing was nonexistent, the train tracks and car mats that line the living room floor from wall to wall (and are laid out differently every time) bring delight to any girly mother's eyes while each boy make his own unique train and car sound (and it usually ends up in some sort of crash....). It's a constant go-go-go but as I've previously posted, and probably will many times in the future, we are learning to just "be" in that going...to praise the Lord for today...to find joy in the little and simple things....because even in the midst of the controlled chaos, we want to live just that....simply. 

Austin ready to look for rings underwater

Heading down the slide.....

and out he comes!

A thumbs-up from Carson!

Carson searching for rings underwater

Swimming lessons...completed and passed!! :)

 I'm not sure what it is about sleeping children...but no matter how crazy the day, how much discipline took place in the hours previous, how spent you may feel as a parent, watching your babies slumber away so peacefully hits a soft spot like none other.

Mason sleeping away

so tuckered out

There is no greater place for boys to be boys than out in the great outdoors....so that's where I'll take my boys (actually, Andy will take us since he is the driver of this fleet!)...one last horrah before we say goodbye to the sleeping-in-summer schedule, finding ourselves camping in the canyons of central Nevada to do some fishing, hiking, exploring, story-telling, singing by the campfire....there's just something about being "out" in God's vast and glorious creation that warms the soul and makes life even more, well, simple. And I'm not sure why, but those pancakes always taste so much more delectable when cooked over the open fire! :)