Camping with the Chamberlains

When Thomas got home from his mission, Ben suggested that we go camping with the WHOLE family. We hadn't gone camping since 2009 when he and I went to Camp Nauvoo with my family, so we were LONG overdue for a trip. In the search for a location, I told the men of the family (planning the trip) that I could survive without a shower for a few days, but I needed a toilet. That was my only request, and they delivered!  Once I was assured I would have a toilet, I got really excited to go.

Since we hadn't ever gone camping as a married couple, we still needed a tent and some sleeping bags. Ben found us some great deals on both! I handled the bug spray and water bottles (tough, I know) and with a little help from grandpa, we were set to go.

Anyway, as the weekend got closer, I looked at the forecast for Tropic Reservoir and RAIN was on the menu. This made me VERY uneasy about going camping. (Whenever it rains and I'm in a tent, I end up being SOAKED and miserable, Halie can vouch for this, but she did have to remind me of these traumatic memories. ha!) So, as we packed up the car and Ben tried to calm my nerves about the rain, we set off for our trip.

We arrived Thursday evening and got everything set up. Ben's parents and siblings were there to greet us. We had dinner together and made sure things weren't going to get rained on too badly, and headed off to sleep. Little did I know the rain that night would wake me up (rain from inside a tent is unusually loud) and make me have to go to the bathroom (the sound of water does nothing good for me in the mornings, hee hee).

Friday morning we woke up and ate a delicious breakfast and prepared for our hike. Here's a pic of us before the hike and in front of our MASSIVE tent (you can't see half of it).

The trail was beautiful and there wasn't that many bugs (a huge plus!) Here's some pics of the hike:

II'm not sure who, but someone found a tiny toad of some sort and McKay ended up with it... It was kinda cool how comfortable it was in the palm of his hand.

About two-thirds of the way through the hike, we got to a great look-out and were able to take a group picture. Not too bad since the camera was hanging from a nub on the side of a tree, huh?

Keyhole Arch (above)

Hiking in Southern Utah is SO gorgeous! I wish these pictures did it justice.

Katie, Ben, Me and Thomas with the sign.

We got back we had walking-tacos (delicious) and played UNO in the tent while it rained some more.

After the rain stopped (for a bit) we went down the the reservoir and skipped rocks and just hung out. Dan and Sharla were brave enough to go swimming and it was hilarious seeing their dog trying to decide whether or not she was going to get in or not. Turns out she hates the cold water, so she chilled with Tom and stole my seat multiple times. :)

Just hanging around the camping stove after we returned from the reservoir. Because of the fire restrictions, we couldn't have a campfire (lame!) but it was still fun to sit around and talk. 

Not pictured: multiple hours worth of horseshoes, more card games and the dog staring down/chasing the chipmunks. All in all, despite the rain, we had a GREAT trip! It was so much fun and so nice to relax away from all the distractions of life. When I was younger, my family would go camping at least once a year (it felt like) and I always remember enjoying it. I can't believe we don't do it more often. Now that we have some of the gear, we will definitely be going more. Most likely not until next summer, but still... if/when we do go, it will be great. 

(Rob and Jami couldn't make it, which was a bummer, but Cal would have been miserable in the rain...Maybe next year.)

Picnic Blanket, Wreath and Fireworks

Growing up, we always had a blanket that was designated the "Picnic Blanket". I cannot recall ever having an actual picnic on it, but we definitely took it everywhere. We would lay on it to watch the fireworks, hang out on it at the park, use it for forts, etc. When I went home at New Years this past year, my mom had a ton of extra fabric she was willing to give me, so she said, "Here.. take this. Make a picnic blanket." 

and that's EXACTLY what I did.

Just the top at this point.

Tying the blanket on Gpa's quilt frames

Somehow I convinced Mer to help me :)

Ben and Mer were both great sports. Ben has super long arms and enough muscle to help pull the dang needles through the quilt and Mer was willing to push them back up from underneath... It was fun to have company while doing this. I haven't tied a quilt in probably seven years.

The back/binding.

I am so happy with the result! We've used it a TON since it's been finished. Baby Cal loves to roll around on it and wrap himself up in it. It's also nice because it can fit at LEAST four adults and a baby. It's wonderful!

My next project was the firecrackers to send to my mom and sister as a 4th of July gift. I bought all the stuff online (in a kit) and when I showed Ben he looked at me like, "You spent money on that? I could have made it for you for half price!" I wish I would have thought about that sooner. Oh well, now I know that if anything I want to do involves wood, I should ask Ben first! :) Although I think I knew what he was thinking, he never said anything negative. He thought it was nice that I wanted to make something for my sister/mom for the holiday. I love how supportive he is when I want to make something or do a craft. I guess he knows how bored I get after work (while he's doing homework) and is happy when I find something to keep me busy. :)

During the painting process and deciding how to arrange them before they shipped.

This one is mine, I LOVE how it turned out! I'm trying to think of what I can make that is similar to this, but for a different holiday... ideas?? Time to search Pintrest!

My last project was this wreath. I saw it online a while ago, and then my friend Shanna did one for her front door and posted a pic on Facebook. It was like a week or so before Independence Day and I couldn't resist! So, I took my coupons and went to JoAnn's to get the felt, stars, and to the dollar tree to get the noodle (used to make the circle). HERE is the tutorial if you want to make your own. I'm going to leave it up until Labor Day!

p.s. I didn't follow the tutorial exactly... I used hot-glue instead of pins. The glue was more difficult to work with, but I didn't want mine to fall apart like hers. I want it to last FOREVER! haha. (or at least until it is too dirty to keep any longer...

Well, that's all for now. Next up: Our camping trip with Ben's family and.... something else, I just can't remember at the moment. :)

late night frustration

I am THIS close 

to chopping all my hair off!!

I hate the fact that my hair makes it hard for me to sleep I also hate the my hair can ruin my whole day. Alright, enough whining... I just needed to express my frustration. 

Curly Hair Problems

So I've been hating my hair recently and really wanting to chop it off (like Emma-short) and dye it dark so I match the rest of my family. Then I remember that no matter how short or how dark my hair is, I will always have the same problems I do now. Why is this??  Because my hair is CURLY.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my curly hair! But some days it's just too much to handle and it doesn't do what I want it to (or what it did yesterday). On those days, I have an emotional breakdown (maybe two) and put it in a hideous bun or altogether skip the event I was getting ready for (usually a wedding reception or something...)

Then I found this tumblr page that has hundreds of "Curly Hair Problems". I can pretty much relate to ALL of them! So, I thought I'd share this with you just to feel a little better about myself... ALL of these things have happened to me or I have thought about them... ENJOY. 

#697: I'm pretty sure I'm related to Hagrid because of the similarities in our hair.

#641: My cousins really did this to me... more than once.

Clarification on #751, I always wanted to marry someone with curly hair, so my kids would suffer like I did when I was younger, then I realized it's really the parent who suffers so I was excited when Ben had straight hair... Turns out his hair is WAY thick and so my kids (and I) are going to suffer either way. They might even get the horrible in-between hair that some of my friends have and HATE...

#783: Ben can testify of this....

#791: and this.

Yes, #806 has happened to me... It was ALIVE.