all in a day: memorial day weekend

Just a note- I started this post on May 30th. It is August 24th. I just wanted to get it out there before Labor Day. Ugh...I'm so behind!

I am not even going to mention or try to excuse the 4 month absence from this blog.

On to Memorial Day weekend.

Last minute, some friends invited us to join a group going camping in Sedona. We had to go a little bit late because Nicholas was playing in his league's championship game on Friday night. WHICH THEY WON!!!! His team really came together in the double elimination play-offs and won five straight games that week in order to win the championship. It was very exciting. Nicholas is his team's catcher and #3 hitter. By playing five games in one week they burned through all of their pitchers so Nic even pitched in the final game.

At 7:00 a.m. Saturday morning we headed north to Sedona. The weather was perfect and the scenery beautiful.

The people we camped with made it extra fun too! There were a lot of kids around,27, I think.

There was a very cold creek at the campground. A few of the boys braved the frigid water but mostly the kids just caught crawdads. Holden did a couple of cliff jumps and Austin caught some itty-bitty fish with his hands.

Wild things were a big part of this camping trip. The kids ended up with twenty or more crawdads. I heard multiple pleas to take them home as pets. The next adventure involved a bunch of boys with BB guns, this is what they brought back to camp.

These are the mighty hunters.

And this is what went on later that night...

Tastes like chicken! Believe or not Holden, Chloe and Nicholas all ate a lizard or a bite of one! I think they all got eaten as a matter of fact and not by a single adult.

Much later that night when I was snuggled up tight in my sleeping bag with Austin, I heard a bunch of commotion from the boys and dads. I was too tired to go outside and get a picture of what was going on but according to my family it was the highlight of the camping trip. Have you ever heard of a javelina? I hadn't until this trip. A javelina is basically a wild boar or pig. I guess there are javelinas in Sedona. Everyone was sitting around a lantern, due to the "EXTREME FIRE DANGER" no fire rule telling bear stories when a javelina comes running into camp. Seven dads, and around twentyish kids sprang into action. You would think this thing would high-tail it outta there! I kind of wish I would of gotten out of the tent to see the mob with flashlights and sticks chasing the pig through the woods. I am pretty sure it would have been comical!

This picture makes the thing look cute and harmless. But what about this one? Yikes!

The next day we went on a hike to a place called Devil's bridge. Here are a few pictures from the hike up.

We enjoying the beautiful scenery and wildlife along the trail. I helicopter whizzing by mesmerized Travis and Nicholas and made them drool with envy at the chance to get to fly in and out of canyons and around the rocks like that.

Half way through we found a nice shady spot to take a break.

While he had a captive audience Travis did a little "public speaking". He told of one of his favorite stories he is using for work at Isagenix meetings as of lately.

Here is Connor, Holden & Katie listening intently.

After our motivation speech we headed onward and upward to arrive at the Devil's Bridge.

This is the bridge. And it scared me to death! The older I get the worse my fear of heights becomes. My boys nearly gave me a heart attack running all around and getting so close to the edge. This is why we haven't visited the Grand Canyon yet!

50 Feet down at least!!! This scared Chloe almost more than it did me because she wouldn't even walk out onto the bridge. She is now absent in our Christmas card picture :). I couldn't convince her for anything to walk out and snap a quick pic.