the worst best things about camping

Friday after work Jory, nervous, came to tell me that he had just spent 80$ on a annual "national park and canyon pass". Which A. That makes me feel like a terrible wife that he would be nervous to tell me that he had just spent 80$! Ha, but maybe it was the fact that I had just told him we reallllly needed to start pinching our pennies 'cause he is going to take me to Sweden next year!

So, that impulse buy sparked a impulse camping trip for the night. We called my little brothers, met at Am Fork canyon, and Jor was able to cruise right on by the lengthy line of guests getting ready to pay their 6 dollar fee to go into Am Fork canyon... We had the annual pass baby! Haha, Jory held his "member id" card up in the window and drove by like he was thee shiz I tell you. It was hillarious. Honestly, I don't think anyone was looking when he held up that card with pride, but we all pretended for Jory. He's pretty cool.

We went up past Silver Lake Flat and hiked about a 1/2 mile to a pretty secluded area and camped. Why is it that...

1. Someone always ends up dropping at least one hot dog in the fire

2. It's such a difficult task to pee outside. Trying to position myself from being hidden from my brothers, the main trail AND making sure to not actually go on my shoes- okay I know too much information...it was really tough. Oh what a concept that is just so much easier for the male gender.

3. On the same subject, the smell of the campfire after your husband and two little brothers decided to urinate to put the glowing fire coals out completely out before you go hit the tent

4. Finding good wood. : ) After a very wet spring, everything is wet- including the wood you need for fire wood! Even with Jory's mad fire making skills we couldn't get FIA going. . . Nothing was starting.. and we had forgot our kindlin.. haha such a funny word. So, thank goodness for camping chairs with their big papery/fabric-y material tags, we ripped off the tags and were able to start a fire with those. Just not a real camping trip with a fire to roast your smores.

5. Cleanliness kind of disappears. How is it, that when you're outside... the concept of cleanliness seems to disappear. I mean heaven forbid... you usually end up having dirt under your nails (i'm being serious here that is one of my biggest pet peeves- and I have been known to try to have Jor scrape the soap to clean under those claws of his). Your nose get's wiped on your sleeve, the dirt or mud wiped on your pants, and you eat marshmallows off of sticks.

6. Why is it that you always end up putting your tent on the rockiest spot possible in the whole Rocky Mountains. Yes, that spot that is so rocky you have to sleep with your body twisted and contorted into awkward positions to avoid the jagged rocks that feel like boulders under your thin sleeping bag.

7. How I somehow always manage to end up eating it, yes, falling where ever I go. I hope other people have this problem. Whether it's hiking, or just sitting in a camping chair. Yes, that happened. I fell on top of the wood pile while reaching for a stick- mind you I was sitting, in a chair. I have bruises to prove it to you, but I don't think Jor would appreciate it if I showed you those brusies. Oh, and when hiking back down in the morning, I also fell, and grew another knee cap. On my shin.

the second kneecap

Really though, camping wouldn't be camping unless all these things happened. I totally love it!