Our little model

When we were getting ready for camping, I realized that all Emma had for shoes were crocs or Sunday shoes. I went to a second hand store and let her pick out whatever shoes she wanted in her size. She picked out these Dora shoes. She LOVES them!! So here she is modeling them. Can you say, "Here comes the Princess?!"

Memorial Day Camping

On Thursday, May 22, there were several, let's say 7!, tornadoes that touched down in this area. It was crazy. Luckily, none of them were in Loveland but were very near. Too near. There was one that went through part of Greeley and up through Windsor doing a lot of damage. Our neighbor and Cory Cox work at a State Farm building in Greeley and that building was hit. No one was hurt but almost all vehicles in the parking lot were damaged, most totaled. All the employees were hiding out in the stairwells and fortunately they were safe.




Tornadoes plus camping? Sure, why not!??
Although there were tornadoes on Thursday, did that stop the Smacks from going camping on Friday? No way! Ted found a good deal on a wall tent. He has been looking for awhile, one that he can use hunting and one that we can use as a family. We were excited to try it out. He told me the dimensions but it didn't quite compute in my head until the two of us are trying to set this thing up. Ti and Tate were helping but let me tell you, 16 x 20 means a whole lot more when it is snowing on you and you are hurrying as fast as you can to set up shelter. Can I say, Ted is strong!? Once we set up the tent and organized the inside, the weather cleared and it seemed more promising. We lit a fire in our stove that goes inside the tent and built a big fire outside and then I thought we were going to make it. It is hard for me to camp in the cold.
By Saturday afternoon we were joined by Rob and the Niko boys, Bob LaMarr and Bryce, Tyler LaMarr and Yumi and her brother Kenji. I loved Tyler's observation of the tent, "Go big, or go home!" Yep, that about sums up a lot of things.
Sunday was warmer and we had "church" around the campfire in the morning. The boys thought that was the coolest thing ever. Tate even conducted our meeting.
The whole weekend was spent 4-wheeling, shooting, building snow caves (Not by me, of course!) and pooping in the big hole. Now you are probably wondering why I would bring that up. So here goes a Joe story. On Sunday, after our church meeting, I take the boys down to go to the bathroom. Ti and Tate have the hang of it now but Joe won't go. Even after he watches the boys and sees that it's not that big of a deal. I turned to him and say,
"OK now it's your turn. "
"No, mom I don't need to go!"
"Joe, its Sunday and you haven't gone since we have been up here."
"Yes sir mom I went this morning."
"Did Dad take you?"
"No, I went by myself."
"Here in the hole?"
"No, I found my own secret hiding place."
"Where was that?"
"Up there!" (pointing to camp)
"Did you dig a hole?"
"No I just went by a tree."
(Pardon this part of the story but being the mom you have to ask.) "Did you wipe your bum?"
"Yes."
"Did you use toilet paper?"
"No, I used a stick. But I didn't put the stick in my bum I just knocked the poop off."
Sure enough, I found the secret hiding place about 2 feet from one of the tents at camp. We then buried it and I took care of his bum. Oh, the joys of motherhood.

Emma was a total trooper and loved every minute of it. She really took to Bob. She was hardly away from him for ten minutes. Here are a few pictures of utterly exhausted kids on the way home. I also learned what not to make for camp food as Joe told me that my chicken soup with dumplings was "kind of nasty!" All he wanted was s'mores and watermelon.