3rd Time is the Charm...Camping

So if you remember Our two camping attempts last year you know that both instances ended in sleep deprivation and headache for at least one of us each time. This year we finally invested in our own tent and sleeping bags. I threw in the crib mattress for Mikey to sleep on. (Who are we kidding we have a mini van with 3 people in it so why not fill the thing up right hahaha.) I decided not to worry about trying to make Mikey go to bed at any given time just to let him run until he crashed. The only thing I forgot were ear plugs which I think I should invest in a bucket of those things, I just can't sleep with strange noises.
It was our wards annual camp out at Ensign Ranch. Although this time was also an adventure it was 200X better than last year so I have my fingers crossed that camping will just keep getting easier and easier as well as funner for that matter.Please notice the hiking boots he did not want to take them off even when it was time to sleep there was a war about wearing boots to bed in our tent. He also has his fingers crossed either for luck or he is about to tell me a lie? hahaha jk :)
I always thought it was lame when parents would bring their kids "electronics" while camping. So I guess that makes me lame because I did not hesitate to pack the laptop so Mikey could watch a movie and fall asleep. (It totally worked thank goodness!)Mikey woke up at about 3:30 am, yes I went into a panic thinking I would have to re-live the previous summer. But I quickly covered him up and started to rub his back so he would be warm and relaxed and he feel asleep until 6:30 which is still early but a much better time to get up and explore for bugs. (Which is what he is looking for in this photo.)The trip was also successful because two of Mikey's Favorite buddies Jeffery and Jackson were there to play with.
Mikey found out that his buddies were going to ride a horse so of course he wanted to. I sent Evan to find out the details. He came back and had signed him up for a ride for a whopping THREE DOLLARS (I LOVE ensign ranch!). Mikey was SO excited to go with his daddy (I stayed behind to clean up camp). Once they got there Mikey DID NOT want to get on the horse. See he is not looking so happy here? (ok actually this was at the end when he didn't want to get off he wouldn't even get on the horse initially.) Evanicio was smooth and quickly got him excited and VERY comfortable (By the end of the ride Mikey was telling Evan that the horse was his and it needed to get in our van with us.)
When Mikey got back to camp the first thing he told me was "The horse was SO nice. His name is Harry he is brown. I wanted to ride the black one." hahahaha he makes me laugh ever time. It is hard to see but I love his smile in this picture:After the ride we finished packing and drove up a canyon where the kids played on the beach, the adults sat basking in the warmth of the mountain sun and our friend quietly played acoustic guitar. It was so fun and relaxing I felt like I was in a movie the moment was so perfect. I could kick myself because I didn't take a single picture of it. But I didn't want to ruin an amazing moment.
Yes, we think the 3rd time is the charm when it comes to camping. Here's to many more fun camping memories.