1st Annual Family Day!

On Monday we celebrated our first annual Family Day - the one year anniversary of Wedly joining our family. We celebrated with an overnight backpacking trip. Warning...this will be a picture heavy post! There were just so many great pictures that I couldn't leave out and since this blog is more of a scrapbook of pictures than it is anything else, I figure it's ok. Anyway, we headed out to Bolt Camp along the Lewis River Trail where I went backpacking almost every year as a little girl. We invited my sister and  her family along for the fun, knowing Wedly would love to have his cousins to play with and chase after. It was a refreshing, fun, quick trip! And what a momentous occasion to celebrate! I must say, it's been a great year. There have been some times of frustration and I've certainly felt unprepared at times, but God has been so good and I'm so thankful for this path he's set before us!

Just before taking off!

Taking a break and having some GORP.

 And we arrived! All the boys did awesome, and the three oldest walked the entire 2.5 miles with their little packs on. I think Gabriel felt like a king, sitting up high in the Kelty. He really seemed to enjoy the walk in!

And it was warm enough to enjoy the river a bit.

 

Playing with fire! :)

Levi enjoyed the cold water more than Gabe...he's a little water baby!

Cooking dinner together, just as we oftentimes do at home!

Helping Auntie pump water

 



Drinking Hot Cocoa

 

Playing Sardines...

 

And here we are, waiting to be found! Love this picture of these two!!

 

 

 

Grandma and Grandpa hiked in the next day and provided a picnic lunch for us!

Love these two!



 

The guys decided to take the opportunity to try out the rope swing hear camp. It was just a bit too cold for me, though it sure looked fun.

 

 
And finally, here is a blast from the past...some pictures of our backpacking trips from when I was a little girl!

Heidi carved our last name in the shelter. You can just barely make it out now. The shelter was knocked down in a big flood and had to be rebuilt (it is in the process of that right now), so our name was in a different spot, but still discernible!

 

 

Ready to head up the trail!

 

Resting along the way. There are some massive old growth trees along the way.