Christian Motherhood: Camping at the Sand Dunes

Our campsite at the Sand Dunes - what a view!

Rob has some time off now and we decided to go camping at the sand dunes the day after Memorial Day through Friday - three nights. Let's just say camping with small kids is hard enough when everyone is feeling well, but when everyone is sick, camping becomes quite the challenge! I was the only one who stayed well during our trip. The bug started with Ethan who threw up about an hour after going to bed Tuesday night. We thought it was the India curry chicken we made for dinner - just a case of having weird foods he hadn't had before. But when Ethan threw up again Wednesday night, about an hour after going to bed again, we were thinking it was something else. When Rob got sick Thursday morning, we knew it wasn't just weird foods, but an actual virus. Between illnesses and the 30 mph wind we were dealing with Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon and evening, this trip ranked right up there as probably the worst camp-out we've ever had.

Our first night's dinner together - India curry chicken

We did have a good day of hiking on Wednesday and hiked the 1/2 mile to Zapata Falls. The last bit of the hike, you have to brave the cold water and hike on the submerged rocks upstream through the creek, but the foot numbness is worth the view of the falls from below (notice the giant icicle next to the falls). We also had a picnic lunch Wednesday at San Luis lake and saw a bunch of pelicans on the lake, but between Ethan's big blowout diaper and washing clothes out of our drinking water bottles and the constant wind blowing, we didn't get any pictures. Funny how my picture taking tapered off after the first day. Just didn't feel like taking too many pictures after Ethan and Rob were sick Thursday and Friday.

Janice at the base of Zapata Falls

Looking up Zapata Falls (giant icicle on the left and the falls are on the right)

Janice, Ashleigh, Rob, and Ethan hiking along the creek to the falls

On Thursday, Ashleigh and I hiked down to the dunes to play in the sand by the creek and wade through the water while Rob and Ethan rested and I did get some cute pictures from that trip. Ashleigh said later on the way home that her favorite part of the trip was hiking down to the dunes with mommy, and even though she was throwing up on Friday morning (3 times in all), she was still really sad to leave to go home, which almost makes it all worth it! I know we're developing a love of camping in our kids at an early age and it's always special taking your children camping to the same place where you loved to camp as a kid.