Shafer Butte.

Tim's a scoutmaster now - it puts a damper on his desire to add any additional campouts to his schedule.  Unfortunately for him, his daughters' interest in the great outdoors never wanes.  So we spent this weekend camping.  I figure that when the temperature promises to be above 100 degrees in the valley, there's a good chance we won't freeze out patookies off in the mountains.  And we didn't.  In fact, I would say it was the best night's sleep I've ever had on an overnight camping trip (which is not saying much, really). 

In the morning, as Anna and I washed our breakfast dishes at the spigot, several of the families in adjacent campsites asked me how we slept (to which I responded, "great!") and then they proceeded to tell us how their kids wouldn't settle down, or they barfed four times each, or the like.  They all had kids under the age of three.  I remember those days clearly - so I told them it gets better.  This time we had each of the girls unloading the car, setting up the tent, stoking the fire, washing the dishes, etc.  It makes a big difference when you are not the only one doing ALL the work - and when you can threaten your kids with their lives if they don't shut their mouths and go to sleep.  A nine-year old gets that better than a toddler, I guess.  Even so, we told stories well into the night before drifting off to sleep rather uneventfully.

Anyway, on to the pictures...

I asked Anna to take a picture of just Tim and I amid the backdrop of our campsite but look who snuck in the picture.

 Lily gave it her best shot here.

Finally got rid of the kids.

In the morning we ventured out on an awesome hike.  I was impressed that everyone we passed remarked on our four girls and not the three girls and little boy we appeared to have (Eve's gorgeous eyes must have given her gender away, despite her boyish attire).

In ascending order...  Might I mention that this was the only shot I got while heading up the mountain - most of the time I was packing the little one at the front - on my back.

Right about this moment, I felt inspired to run into the mountain meadow and twirl around with my arms outstretched singing "The hills are alive with the sound of music..."  We were truly on top of the world, it seemed.

                                                              Simply breathtaking.

Rachel was our resident wildflower picker/arranger.

               Tim obliged to swap me the backpack for the kid on the way down.  Phew.

                                                                We made it! 

Best quotes of the trip:

Rachel (after we asked everyone if they were warm enough at night) - "I was freezing cold!  And then I got in my sleeping bag."

Lily (after our hike) - "That was totally worth it."  Wonders never cease.