Peaceful Valley (At Least it Was Until We Got There)

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!