A Camping We Will Go!

(Our family at the campsite)

This was by far the shortest and most eventful camping trip I have ever been on. Roland had taken the Scouts to West Clear Creek in Camp Verde (two hours north of Phoenix) two weeks ago and when he came back, he decided that he wanted to take a family trip there. We had never been camping as a family before, so this was going to be a new and exciting adventure for us. Accompanying us on our trip would be his brother Zane, Zane's wife Callie (who I must give kudos to for going five months pregnant!), their two boys (Cael 4 and Peyton 2), their dog Tuko, and Roland's sister Nabeha.

Callie and I spent the week planning meals, plans, etc. I quickly realized why we had not yet been camping. I think we packed the entire kitchen, bedroom, kids' bedroom, and garage just for an overnight trip.

Friday morning (yesterday) came and I drove Roland to work bright and early in the morning. Upon returning, I began getting the kids ready for the day. I finished packing the last minute items, then Zane and Callie came by with the truck to load. I still can not believe that we filled an entire truckload, plus our trunk.

Zane and Callie left and I stayed to finish some last minute things before picking Roland up from work. About 30 minutes later, they called saying they had not left yet because they had a flat, so we would just all drive together. They came over and assisted me in getting out of the door - then we were off!

We picked up Roland from work at 10:20am (only 20 minutes later than previously planned!). I thought I did quite well. So, we hit the road onto our CRAZY adventure!

Prior to going, I asked Roland what the driving terrain was like as he knows that I have a severe fear of heights, cliffs, etc. I know that we still have to drive it, but I at least like to be prepared. He told me that it wasn't bad and the worst thing was just about a ten foot drop. I was pleasantly surprised and didn't think about it again.

Then, we arrived! As we were driving through the mountain pass, there of course were those sheer drops that are the craziest and scariest things ever. But, they had guardrails so I could deal with it. Once we got into Camp Verde, we turned onto a dirt road and drove two miles to an even more primitive dirt road. This next road was about 10 miles of rocky dirt terrain. I ended up stopping and letting Roland take over as we were just in our Corolla and this was definitely some major off-roading. I did not want to destroy our car with my incorrect driving. So, Roland got behind the wheel and maneuvered us around the ridiculously rocky and precarious terrain.

Then I saw it! We round a corner and all of a sudden there is a sheer drop to the side of us. Keep in mind, this is a rocky, slippery, dirt terrain with quite a large slope and we are in our Corolla! So, we are on this dirt road that is the width of one car with this drop to the right of us and NO GUARDRAIL! I was having a complete panic attack. I was so mad! I could not believe he didn't tell me about this. This is when he begins to tell me that they drove in last time when it was dark, so he didn't know this was there. That sure makes me feel better!

(Weston helping Dad set up the tent)

Thankfully we arrive safely into the campsite and we begin to unload. I cannot believe how secluded this place is. They have sections of the woods cleared out so that you can pull your vehicles in and set up a campsite. I had never seen something like that before. So, we begin unloading our gear and setting up camp.

(Weston exploring)

Weston was so excited! Roland took him out of the car and Weston darted into the woods, squealing with joy. First thing he does - splat! We are there for 30 seconds and he is already COVERED in dirt. It made me laugh. That sure did not stop him though. He did not stop running and exploring the entire time we were there. He gets his adventurous spirit from his dad. He did not want to follow us or stay where we were. He wanted to forge his own way and explore his surroundings all by himself. This of course did not sit well with me - especially with the sporadic cactus here and there. We did make it through without any major injuries - just a slight run in with a cat claw bush and Weston's ear and then other various scrapes and bruises.

(The little boys relaxing)

I was quite impressed with our camp. We were camping in style! The kids had their own pup tent with a few toys, Nabeha had her own tent, Zane and Callie had their tent, then Roland and I had a tent (and we even managed to fit a blow up queen mattress and tw0 pack-n-plays in there!). It was quite a squeeze with no room for even our bags. We had a table for food prep and water, a washing station, and more camp chairs than people. The kids even had their own little chairs and table. It was really cute.

(Looking at the river)

After set-up was complete, we went exploring down at the creek. The boys loved the water. Pretty soon they were all stripped down and splashing in the water having the time of their lives. It was funny to see all these little bare bums running around. Roland even got a nice surprise when Weston decided to urinate on him while he was being held. When they started to get cold, we toweled off and went back to the campsite. It was beautiful there by the creek with the sound of the running water and the clear blue skies. I loved it.

(Time to splash!)

By this time the kids were starting to deteriorate (especially Weston with his lack of a nap). We decided to get dinner started. Thanks to the boys for hunting for some firewood, we got our fire started and began cooking our tin foil dinners. They were delicious - even Natalie greatly enjoyed her cooked carrots. She was so cute sitting in her walker, kicking her feet in the dirt, and chomping away at her delicacy. Once dinner was completed, I washed Natalie down and took her in the tent to get her ready for bed. She looked so cute in her warm pajamas.

(Natalie all ready for bed)

(Weston roasting his marshmallow)

Once Natalie was down, I went back outside to see the boys having a blast roasting marshmallows. They were all holding their sticks high in the air with their marshmallows attached at the end like they were scepters. It was hilarious. Weston was quite amused with the stick, fire, and this sticky thing that he could smear all over his hands and face. He was especially excited when we broke out the glow sticks (our way of keeping track of them in the night). He was a very happy boy.

(All of our boys)

Bed time. We wiped Weston down and put him in his pajamas. He was not a happy camper at this point. I think it was a combination of the unknown and the fact that he was so far past tired that he couldn't unwind. We sat in the tent and sang to the children for a little while to calm them both down (as Natalie had now awoken). Once they were calmed, we placed them in their beds and left the tent.

Now comes the real drama. Nabeha had been kind enough to clean up the campsite and wipe everything down while we were putting the kids to sleep. We were all pretty exhausted at this point so we sat around the campfire and vegged. I watched as Weston played with his flashlight in the tent and muttered to himself and Natalie. I could see his shadow hovering over Natalie's bed laughing and giggling at her. He is so silly. Roland got up and walked towards the tent (I was assuming he was checking on the kids and didn't think another thing of it).

A minute or so later we hear an incredibly loud gunshot coming from the campsite right next to ours. We all jump up and look at each other with wide-eyes. We are on edge, but don't really think TOO much of it until we hear a man yell "GET ON THE GROUND, NOW!!" Now we are scared. I frantically start looking around and now realize that Roland never came back from checking on the kids. I start calling his name. He doesn't respond.

I am panicked. I am calling for Roland repeatedly and he is no where to be found. I start walking around in circles, sobbing, thinking something has happened to him. I don't even know what to do. I just know something has happened and all these things start running through my head about how we should proceed next and how we would get the kids out of here safely. I am not about to drive back up that mountain in the middle of the dark. Zane grabs Tuko (their dog) and starts walking the perimeter of the campsite while all of us women are in a state of panic.

Shortly I see Roland walking up the path with Zane. I was so relieved that I just grabbed him and held him. He explained that he had been out in the woods going to the bathroom when the gunshot happened. He said he went into "sleuth" mode and started creeping in the woods to see what had happened so he would be prepared to protect us if need be. From what he could tell, he said that it appeared that they were drunk and one guy got the gun and shot it, which everyone else disapproved of. This is when one of them yelled at him to get on the ground. Roland said he saw them all sit back down, obviously disgruntled, but had seemed to have resolved the issue.

We decided to say a quick prayer for protection through the night which seemed to calm us all down. We then settled back down around the fire. No more than ten minutes passed and I heard something in the bushes and Tuko's ears perked up. A skunk!

Are you kidding me?! One of the young ones had dropped some dog food on the ground (which we had forgotten about) but apparently there was no hiding it from the skunk. We could see him pass our camp a few times, then pulled up right next to the truck (and us around the fire) to begin eating the food. Tuko was getting worked up and excited and all we could think was that we were going to get sprayed! Callie did really well at containing Tuko and keeping him quiet.

We thought we were in the clear and that he was going to leave, but then he circled around back and started heading towards Zane and Callie's tent where the boys were sleeping. The tent was slightly open so we were afraid the skunk was going to go inside. We started shining lights at him hoping that he would go away. He started to raise his tail and we all panicked. Roland grabbed a large stick out of the fire and started walking towards the skunk, hitting the ground along the way. None of us knew how to get rid of a skunk without scaring him and making him spray, but we also couldn't allow him to get in the tent.

Of course, at this same time, their kids wake up with all of the excitement outside of their tent. Great! Last thing we need is them panicking, coming out, and scaring the skunk. So, Callie is trying to calm them and tell them to go back to sleep while Roland is swinging a fire-glowing stick in the air. What a mess! Embers are flying everywhere so now we are not only scared about getting sprayed, but about starting a fire somewhere too!

Roland was eventually successful and the skunk was properly eliminated. We didn't see him come back, so we assumed that "threat" was now taken care of. By this point, I have the biggest headache. I think it was a combination of dehydration, all of the drama, and the fire. I had forgotten that I am very sensitive to smoke and tend to get sick when around it for extended periods of time.

We sat back down and I rested my head on Roland. I was starting to get really sick and it was progressing quickly. I was so nauseated. Of course this is when Natalie starts screaming. Roland went to check on her and she couldn't be consoled. I went in to try breastfeeding her which only worked for about 30 seconds, then she just threw a bigger fit. I could hear her swallowing mucous every few seconds and knew she probably didn't feel well. I am sure the dust did not sit well with her sensitive system. It was then that I got really sick and started dry heaving. Roland ran to get me a bucket and I spent the next five minutes with my head out of the tent making the most horrible sounds ever. I couldn't get anything up but my body was sure fighting for it. I was so ill!

To make matters worse, all of the noise and commotion woke Weston up. He gets frightened and he starts sobbing. So, Roland has a kid in each arm and I have a date with a bucket outside. This was quickly turning into a nightmare!

Roland eventually convinced me to just pack up and go home despite my horrifying fear of that drive. We knew that if we stayed, we would have a horrible night. I knew that the smell of the smoke was making me very sick as I instantly got another wave of nausea when I stepped out of the car, so I knew that I needed to get out of there. Roland and Zane gathered a few things up and we headed out into the night. I felt so bad for leaving all of that behind for everyone else to clean up. We definitely owe them big time!

The drive was relatively uneventful. Roland was very kind and drove extremely carefully on the way out. I tried my best to remain calm and was proud of myself with how well I did. I think I was just too sick to care at that point, plus I had hyperventilated while I was dry heaving so I couldn't move my arms or hands very well, so was more focused on that. We stopped for some soda to keep Roland awake and to settle my stomach. It helped quite a bit.

(Natalie fast asleep - we got a pillow for her neck to prop up her head!)

(Weston is OUT)

About an hour out I started to feel a lot better. We had taken off all of our smoke-filled clothes and I had some fresh air in the car. The soda also helped to calm my stomach down a bit. I was shocked with how quickly I recovered - and was very grateful. About 45 minutes away from home, we switched and I drove the remainder of the way. We were so happy when we pulled up to the house - and it was only 20 minutes after midnight!

Weston was so excited to see his bed. He grabbed his blankie, rolled over, and went right to sleep. Natalie never even woke up. We were able to carry her in from the car and place her in bed in one uninterrupted movement. Roland and I went straight for the shower. What a relief to lay down in our nice, soft bed. We went right to sleep.

So, to wrap things up. We had a great time, but could have done without some of the added drama. But hey, it makes for a good story, right? I think we have decided that we will wait until the kids are a little older to try this again, or at least until I am a little less of a scaredy-cat and wimp. I feel really bad for ruining Roland's trip but he was a really good sport. He is awesome! So is everyone else for picking up our slack. Who knows though, maybe we will just relegate ourselves to cabin camping people. I think I can handle that a bit better! So, until our next adventure.....

(Weston enjoying his marshmallow)

(Natalie enjoying the outdoors)

(Natalie and Mommy at the river)