We went camping this weekend with the Zwyers at
Peaceful Valley campground above Nederland. The first trip of the year is always a struggle as we have to gather all the gear and supplies from wherever they've wandered to over the winter.
I bought a new tent for the occasion and the boys were excited to test it out, crawling into their sleeping bags as soon as I got it set up.
Of course much of the act of camping revolves around the cooking and eating of food - particularly when you travel with four growing boys.
I made
homemade marshmallows for the occasion. I wasn't sure what to expect but they were surprisingly easy and turned out really well - at little too sweet and vanilla-y, but we'll try again soon!
The campground is set in a wooded area and the forest right behind our campsite yielded a natural playground for the boys to explore.
We went for a hike on the Middle St. Vrain trail. I got to use my wildflower ID booklet and we enjoyed being out in the fresh air.
We found a geocache hanging in a tree.
Both boys were very brave in their rock-climbing, stream crossing, and getting dirtier than they've ever been before.
Did I mention we ate a lot (and often)?
And on top of the fun and adventure we were already having, a moose wandered into our campsite.
We packed up camp this morning and headed into Nederland to ride the
Carousel of Happiness. I was happy it only cost $1/person and that Ryan faced his greatest fear to date - carousel animals that go up and down.
Then we climbed on a caboose, unsuccessfully hunted a geocache, and took the long and windy way home.
You can view more photos of the weekend
here; I've gotta go do laundry!
