We have been wanting to go camping lately–now that we are in the US where it is legal and in Utah where there are some of the best outdoor rec options around.

My parents took me camping at the ripe age of 2 months old so we figured it is possible. Finally we set up the tent on Sunday in our backyard for a trial run.

First we decided to break Eden into the camping experience by having a little Family Home Evening inside. It only takes a second to throw together an FHE when we remember to do it. So we sang “Popcorn Popping” and Chad told us about how the people in the Book of Mormon set up their tents toward the prophet Benjamin so they could hear his words. It was a great tie-in for our upcoming General Conference weekend. Then we sang “Popcorn popping” again and had… popcorn for a treat. (Eden also asks us to draw popcorn, mold popcorn with playdoh, etc. She is very much into popcorn right now.)

We made s’mores over at the neighbors’ fire pit so we smelled perfect to try an outdoor sleepover.

Then came bedtime in the tent. It was so nice to all snuggle up together in sleeping bags and read a story. The crickets were providing excellent mood music and the fall weather made it feel like we were up in the mountains. We had forgotten how cozy it is in a tent. However, the tent became too exciting and after getting kicked in the face a few times we decided we had better call it a night. Eden was like a little popcorn kernel herself. Foiled!

Hopefully by spring we’ll be ready to try again.

A great girl in our ward, Kathryn, has been coordinating some very poorly attended park days each Friday. Normally we go to Murray park but this last time we went to Big Cottonwood park. It was fantastic. We ended being there for almost two hours before we realized we had better get the kids home for naps.

While we were there Eden played so well. We went on the swings together and she climbed all over. Then she wanted help on the rings and monkey bars. She is so strong! While she was hanging from the bar four feet off the ground and I was waiting for her to tell me to help her she started to say “Feet up, feet down, feet up, feet down.” She was going back and forth to a pike position!

I couldn’t wait to show off her new trick to Chad. We had a dinner picnic at the park and let Eden show all her new found abilities.

Yesterday Chad took part of the day off. Apparently he had a day coming and when he woke up with a bit of a sore throat he thought is was a good day for it.

We had a really nice day together. All of us went to Eden’s dance class and then to the zoo. Eden is getting so she can actually stay in one play and watch and enjoy the animals. It is cute.

We went on a little train ride together. Eden must have seen a tiny bit of the carousal because she took off running toward it and asking for a ride. How could we say no. Chad took Eden and I stood on the sidelines and watched. It was suddenly so precious. There was this beautiful carousal with a little girl sitting pretty on top of an okapi with bright eyes and a broad smile. I was holding a little snuggly adorable sleeping boy, and Chad, my favorite person ever, was there to enjoy it with us. Somewhere Over the Rainbow started playing and almost every time the ride went around Eden could be seen on a new animal. I don’t know why it was such a happy moment but it was wonderful!