all in 26 hours

My plans to drive up to Montana fell through last week (still pouting about that one) and Robby was buried in a final project for school.....our weekend was looking to be pretty lame. But after a (very, very) last minute decision we decided to go camping for the night. We very rarely go camping for just one night--after all the efforts to pack up and set up, it's so much more worth it to stay a couple nights. But thanks to homework, and my lingering nausea from those stupid wisdom teeth (still holding a huge grudge) we only had one night to spare. 

So we just did it. 

We were away from our house for a total of about 26 hours--and even though it was quick, it was very much worth it. The perfect escape.

In 26 hours we:

...drove to the Unitas.....such a pretty drive that I never tire of. 

...found the PERFECT campsite.....I still can't get over how pretty it was....

meadow. lake. wildflowers. 

...unpacked. set up our site. 

...braved the WIND. so funny setting up a tent in crazy wind.

....fetch with charly in the lake.

...dutch oven dinner

...more crazy wind.

...hot cocoa.

...kids in jammies, giggling in the tent. 

...nightime. fire. stars. us two.

...ghost stories in the tent.

...sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.

...birds wake up around 4:30am. 

they get louder

and louder 

and LOUDER. 

so many birds!!!

...tent starts to warm.

...charly up. kids up. we're up. 

...fire. breakfast. run around through the meadow.

...fishing. fishing. fishing. 

...lunch.

...s'mores.

...more meadow and lake play.

...playing catch.

...packing up. breaking down camp.

...goodbye perfect campsite.

...drive through the mountains.

...pit stop at Hi-Mountain Drug in Kamas. 

yes it's a drug store, and yes it has great burgers and shakes.

...drive home.

all photos taken at Trial Lake, Utah

How to Camp

I have promised posts on how to play outside, and I will do my best to give some camping tips. 

It's a little bit hard because we have both camped our whole lives, so we just kind of know what works best for us. 

If you have never camped, here are a few very basic tips. 

I won't get into a lot of gear details--as far as gear goes it really depends on how comfortable you want to be. You can bring as little as a sleeping bag and a pot to cook oatmeal, or go all out and bring everything--a tent, air mattress,a giant camp stove to cook up a feast, an extra table, a tent for the kids, a portable shower......it's really up to you. 

We keep all our camping stuff together, and have a giant tote of necessities so we can load up the car quickly and go.

Some of the items in our tote include:

-dishes, silverware

-vinyl tablecloth

-pot, pan, a few utensils

-a kettle to heat water

-dutch oven

-tub for washing dishes, soap, brush

-small rope for a clothesline to hang wet clothes/towels

-lantern

-small one burner stove

-lighter

-first aid kit

-a grid we can put in the fire to cook/heat food on (similar to this)

-rain ponchos

other necessities that I pack up before we go:

-sunscreen

-mosquito repellent (ALWAYS pack this, no matter where you are going)

-some washing supplies-soap, baby wipes, a washcloth and a towel

-fishing gear/binoculars/balls/frisbee/any fun activity your family likes to do

-flashlights/headlamps (the kids LOVE their headlamps)

-lots of water

-firewood (most campsite hosts sell firewood but if you have wood at home you save a lot of $)

food

I LOVE cooking over the fire! 

Here is what we ate--I will share our other camp meals throughout the summer as well.

Dinner (see photo and recipe below): Dutch Oven Chicken Tacos

Breakfast: Ham, Egg, and Cheese Breakfast Sandwiches

-scrambled eggs (we add a few slices of ham to the eggs while they cook)

-melted swiss on whole wheat english muffins (with a little bit of mustard) toasted over the fire

Lunch: we kept it easy and brought stuff for sandwiches

I packed a few kinds of fruit, some chips, and a few other snacks as well. I also like to pack whatever veggies we have from the garden to wrap in foil and cook with dinner.

Dutch Oven Chicken Tacos

this fed my family of 4 

you'll need:

2 chicken breasts (cut in half so they'll cook a bit faster)

1 can of black beans

dutch oven and charcoal briquettes 

Chipotle Sauce (make at home)

in food processor combine:

A few ripe tomatoes (or one can of diced tomatoes)

1 small onion
2 garlic cloves

1 chile in adobo sauce (or even 1/2 a pepper if you don't want it too spicy.....those things are hot)

a large handful of cilantro

splash of vinegar and pinch of salt

take it for a few spins in the food processor until it's smooth and then add to chicken and beans in a container with a lid.

You can pull this out of your cooler at the campsite and dump it in the dutch oven and you are ready to go!

taco toppings

I put small amounts into little containers to save space in the cooler

-shredded cheese

-sour cream

-tomatos

-cilantro

-tortillas (we wrapped these in foil and warmed them in the fire)

With charcoal briquettes on the top and bottom of the dutch oven, it only took about 30 minutes to cook. We shredded the chicken and served it in warm tortillas.

A few more camping tips:

Never been before?

Consider doing a "practice" campout in your backyard. 

This will ensure that you have what you need, and get your kids used to sleeping in a tent if they never have (they will love it)

Let it be known: your kids will be filthy. 

Let them be, and don't worry about it. 

I always heat water at night to wash hands and faces, and there's always hand sanitizer to use before meals if you want.

Camping is dirty--but it's all part of the fun. Have them wear older clothes that can get dirty and wet. 

Bring extra shoes for your kids. 

Feet will somehow always end up wet and that can make for a miserable time for little toes.

Share Responsibilities
Give everyone a job! The kids helped haul wood, gather kindling, and pack and unpack the campsite.
They searched for rocks to hold down the tablecloth, and combed the site for garbage after we packed up.
Give them some of their own "gear", so they feel big. A water bottle, a headlamp, a compass.....they love it.

Bring lots of layers. 

Temps can range from 40s-80s up in the mountains in just one day.
bring extra jackets and always bring warm hats for evenings/mornings.

Leave No Trace

I can't stand seeing trash on the ground when we are out in the mountains. 

Pick up your campsite! Even if you find trash that isn't yours--pick it up!

thank you.

.......so there are a few basics. 

If you have any questions please feel free to ask and I will do my best to answer right back in the comments. 

And PLEASE feel free to add your own camping tips--

what makes it easy for you?

summer is here

and so it begins....

well.....I guess to be all "official" we have about another week until summer. 

but for us, it's here.

this is what summer means to me:

swimsuits. all day. 

popsicles.

new freckles.

no shoes

dirty feet (see above)

staying outside to watch the sun go to sleep

homemade ice cream

mountain picnics

early early morning runs

s'mores

sleeping on a mountain top under a billion trillion stars

road trips

montana

bucket loads of zucchini

juicy red tomatoes, dripping down my chin

farmer's market

eating outside at lone star

family bike rides

cooking over a campfire

jam making

rodeos

fireworks

watermelon

....aaaaahhhhhh summer. 

what's on YOUR list?

remember that time my husband went to south africa?

Well.....I survived the whole wisdom teeth ordeal......so far.
oy. 
This really is no fun at all, is it?
(except for all the ice cream....that part isn't bad, I won't lie)

I've been sitting around halfway delirious and mostly drunk from pain meds, and decided to finally go through all of Robby's photos from his trip to Africa.
He got to go last month for the end of his school program.....it was a required class...not bad, right?

I thought I'd share a few of the photos he took--I love them all, and it was so hard to choose which photos to post. I especially love the photos of all the people.
It really makes me look around and realize we all have waaaay too much stuff.
Stuff everywhere. Why can't we live more simply?
Robby talks about how happy everyone he met was.
Happy and kind, and yet they lived in shacks with dirt floors, and hand me down clothing.
why can't we all be more content?
....something to think about.

all photos taken by Rob Jibson
in Capetown South Africa, Soweto South Africa, Johannesburg South Africa, Pilanesberg South Africa, Gansbaai South Africa, Victoria Falls Zambia, Chobe National Park Botswana
note: all photos were taken with a 50mm lens--no telephoto so those animals were close!

below is my absolute favorite! so happy and pretty

the end.

cha-cha-cha-chia

Chia seeds. 

Like Chia Pet?

yes.

 

So what are they?

"A chia seed is an ancient superfood. The little black and white seeds were once a staple of the Incan, Mayan and Aztec cultures, along with the Native Americans of the southwest. "Chia" is actually the Mayan word for strength. The seeds were used by these ancient cultures as mega-energy food, especially for their running messengers, who would carry a small pouch of it with them. Chia has been called 'Indian Running Food' and gives an incredibly 'sustaining' surge of energy". (source)

Interested? Me too.

Chia seeds are rich in fiber, antioxidants, full of minerals like iron, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, and manganese. No other grain has more protein than a chia seed. They are also loaded with omega-6 and have the most omega-3 out of any other seed.

 

Where do you get them? 

Check with any health food store. You can find them in the bulk bins or packaged.

(speaking of health food stores......locals, did you hear the AMAZING news?! Trader Joes is coming!!!)

What can you do with chia seeds? 

This is the best part......you can do anything! 

They are so tiny and mild flavored, you really can add them to anything.......

for example:

-Granola

-Yogurt

-Oatmeal (whether raw or cooked)

-Smoothies

-We've been taking peanut butter, honey, and chia seed (whole wheat) tortillas (rolled up) on our hikes

-My pre-run meal lately has been whole wheat toast or english muffin with peanut butter, honey, and chia seeds. (with a glass of frosty o.j.)

If you have read Born to Run (a book you really need to read!!) you are probably familiar with the drink Chia Fresca or Iskiate. When chia seeds are soaked in water, they turn into a gel. While they don't need to be soaked to eat them, soaking does aid in digestion. Add your seeds to water with a little lime juice and some honey. (recipe here, scroll to the bottom). I have been mixing this up for the past few weeks a little here and there, and while I don't LOVE the texture of the gel, it's not too bad. I've also added the gel to my smoothie.

Speaking of smoothies....

Get Up and Go Smoothie

this smoothie is loaded with a little bit of everything you need to get your day going

serves 1-2

BLEND:

1 small banana

1/2 cup plain greek yogurt

1/2 cup vanilla almond milk

heaping spoon of peanut butter

small handful of raw oats

small handful of almonds

small handful of blueberries (you don't taste the berries--I just threw them in for some extra antioxidants)

spoonful of chia seeds

spoonful of ground flax

large drizzle of raw honey (more or less as you like)

spoonful of coconut oil, in liquid form

spoonful of cocoa powder (optional....sometimes I add it, sometimes I don't....I like to mix it up)

a few ice cubes

enjoy!

Do you eat chia seeds? 

I'd love to hear how YOU use them!

ketchup

How are you? We haven't been talking so much lately.....have we? 

This is a power packed post......so much to catch up on.

Starting with:

I am now married to an MBA graduate. IT'S TRUE!!! He did it! We did it!

 

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This weekend was graduation and it was an amazing feeling knowing that we made it through this crazy time in our lives. He still has three weeks of school left (uuuhhh....kind of a buzz kill, right?) but I am almost done with this whole single-mother thing.....yippee!!!

We even got to go on a graduation weekend date.....bonus!

 

and here is my haggard family after a 17 hour long ceremony.

 

I have a five year old. FIVE!!! How do babies grow up and turn five? It should be illegal.

Her cake was chocolate cake layered with whip cream, chocolate buttercream, and strawberries. 

(basically this cake)

(last year's ruffly cake here)

I ran the Timpanogos Trail Half last weekend (which actually clocked in for me at 13.7 miles)  

I ran it last year, and apparently I forgot how insanely steep sections of that trail are.....like, straight up. OH. THE. BURN. calves. quads. buns. all on fire. this race pooped me out, but it was a great run. The UP was exhausting, but I pushed and pushed and pushed and felt strong all the way dooooowwwwn the giant mountain. 

My kids chased me through the finish line and then we all collapsed.

I wore the boy's camelbak, and while it was't 100% ideal for me (I would like wider straps, a bottom strap, and pockets on the straps).....it actually worked out ok. 

I ended up getting 4th place for women (only 39 women in the race), and while the course was beautiful....to be completely honest, I left wanting a little more. Everyone in this race was so quiet. No one really talked during the race, or even after. Everyone really kept to themselves, which was so different than last month's race in Moab, where I felt like we were all a team. So my advice to you if you are out on the trails--say hello! Tell someone they are doing an awesome job. 

You are all in it together, so why not make a party out of it?

after:

 

Speaking of running, my Saturday (early early) morning run looked like this:

 

AMAZING! We climbed up 4000ft. 

as much as I love to sleep in, early early morning runs are the best because:

-sunrise

-not so many mountain bikes to run you over

-cool temps

-the rattlesnakes are still sleeping, so when you come within an inch stepping on them, (aaaAAAAaAAhHHhhhhHHh!!!!!!!) they are too lazy to sink their fangs into your chicken leg.

annnnd last, and totally least:

My wisdom teeth are coming out Thursday. 

all of them.

oh. man. 

Please tell me I will live. 

I am so bummed out because I am missing out on opening day at the farmers market this weekend.....will you go for me?

I think that's it.....well.....some if it anyway....I just found out it's already June....what?!

What have YOU been up to?