Navajo Lake 8/14/2010

[blueeyes]

The last two weeks around here have been less than desirable. Kinda ran into a train wreck coming home from our big camping trip up north. If it wasn’t one thing gone wrong it was another… cars, kids, life and the stress of a brand new job. I seriously felt as if I was loosing my mind. For the first time since we moved down here I really started to doubt myself and choices. Temporarily lost my direction. So what does a girl do???? HEAD FOR THE HILLS

The kids and I went up to Navajo Lake to see if it might be a good spot to camp. We also took Spencer’s little backpack stove to practice cooking meals we might like to eat if I ever get up enough courage to backpack just the two of us.

We adopted another 14 year old for the day. I thought one 14 year old was much to handle now I had two. They kept me in stitches the entire day!!!!

We didn’t make it up to the lake until about 2:30 and we were starving when we pulled into the little campground.

We cooked up our first meal. Cheese Bacon Ramen. Easy to do, got great reviews from all three kids. Mom thinks as long as I never have high blood pressure this recipe is ok. This was my first time cooking on one of these little dinky stoves. I have decided that boiling water and pouring it into a freezer bag is better than cooking in the little pans. They are a pain in the arse to clean up.

After a quick lunch we tried to swim. HOLY HANNA!!! We fry down in St. George and freeze in the lake! That was some wicked cold water. Sarah never made it past her waist, I lasted all of 5 minutes. I was actually going to try and do a practice swim for the Xterra race. I think it is time for a wet suit! Zack lasted about 20 and Spencer I think he played for about 35 minutes before he came out teeth chattering.

The boys tried making a raft from two logs and bungee cords. It was fun to watch them roll off.

Next we hiked for a split second. Sarah is quite the whiner! I would love to do this backpack trip with her and Spencer both but she moves at less than a snails pace. We would never make it anywhere. So much for the hike.

The boys headed off to fish. Sarah and I talked with a nice couple from Vegas for awhile and sampled there delicious Dutch oven cooking. (Shhh don’t tell the boys we did that all they got was the backpack meals).

Soon we joined the boys just in time to see Zack reel in a fish.

Dinner was a Pizza Ramen dish that was NASTY!!! We all ate it because we were hungry and that was all I brought but it received 8 thumbs down. We did fry up Zack’s little trout and it tasted mighty fine! Not much to go around. I told the boys next time they needed to catch more fish. Spencer and Zack upon Sarah and I egging them on each ate one of the fish eyes raw!

We made a campfire, roasted marshmallows, and headed home.

[Cirrus2000]

Way to go, experimenting with the wee stove. Looks like, despite the "Pizza Ramen" disaster, you had a good time. Too bad that Sarah's not into hiking, though!

[blueeyes]

I just need to find her a hiking partner. She says all the girls she knows or has met so far are afraid of bugs, you should see her say that as she scowls and looks off the other direction. She reminds me soooo much of me. I have hope that I will turn her into a hiker yet.. patience right?