Surviving The Chaos: Camping Trip to Flagstaff

Last month sometime I brought up the idea of camping and the boys were over the moon excited. They wanted to go that weekend and talked about all the things they wanted to take with them. Luckily, Ricky found a KOA campsite in Flagstaff so we booked it on Wednesday for a Friday arrival. We left after the boys got out of school and headed straight there. It took a couple of hours and we stopped for dinner on the way. I can't believe how much work it takes to pack everything for camping and we were only going for two nights. We knew it was going to be really cold so we packed a bunch of extra blankets. We set up camp in the dark the first night and pretty much went straight to bed.

The first night was so incredibly windy and cold. It was about 35 degrees that night. The wind howled all night and shook our tent around pretty good. It made for a very difficult night of little sleep. I had grand plans of fun activities to do around camp on Saturday but unfortunately, the wind was still very strong and a it was quite cold. We had some breakfast at camp, the boys played on the playground for a while and Lincoln and I braved a few games at the campsite table. Eventually we had to move into the tent to get out of the cold and wind. Logan joined us for Rumikub and Uno while Ricky went around the camp looking for picture opportunities. After playing games it was time for mommy to have a nap while the boys had some quiet time on their iPads. We planned to have lunch at camp but it would have been impossible to have the peaceful relaxing lunch in the sun that I had imagined because the cold gusty winds would blow everything away. We had to make the most of it so we made sandwiches, with chips and veggies on the side, and ate inside the tent.

We decided to take a break from the chilly weather and head into town to see a movie. We went to the only theater in town and saw the Huntsman. It was entertaining and the boys and I really liked it. After the movie it was still cold and windy and we weren't quite ready for dinner so we headed to a mall (it was a pretty pathetic mall but it was inside) to see what fun things we could find. Logan loved playing in the play area and mommy got a little shopping done. After that the boys begged for McDonald's happy meals so we stopped and got them those on the way to the restaurant that Ricky and I were going to eat at. I wanted to be brave and adventures by trying somewhere local. We found a little hole in the wall Mexican place that had some good reviews. It was definitely somewhere we wouldn't normally eat but we tried it. Turned out to be okay. It was warm food and a nice change from cereal and sandwiches so we happy.

After returning to camp we started a fire so we could make s'mores. The boys were more interested in just eating the chocolate but they both roasted marshmallows and ate their s'mores. Thankfully the wind had died down, although the temperature had also dropped. It was supposed to be 28 degrees that night. We huddled up in the tent and had a much more peaceful night than the one previous. We all got to sleep fairly early and slept well.

Sunday morning we got up, ate breakfast and broke down camp before heading home via the scenic route through Sedona. We stopped at a church we had never seen before that was on top of a hill, overlooking the valley. It was a beautiful location. After that stop, and a stop at another hole in the wall Mexican place for lunch, we finally made it back home. It was definitely a lot of work, especially for Ricky, and the weather could have been better, but we made it work and we made fun memories. I hope that we can go camping at least once a year as a family tradition.

Lincoln the first night all ready for bed.

Ricky at breakfast

I was worried if we didn't go in April that it would be too hot. Apparently, not in the mountains.

Lincoln beat me on the first game with his very first hand. I didn't even get a chance to have a turn. He was so impressed with himself he ran to tell his dad that "he beat me like a boss."

This little guy was in his element. He loves to be outside all day every day.

Keeping warm and playing games.

You wouldn't know that they had been freezing all day but once they warmed up in the tent they got comfy for quiet time after lunch.

This little squirrel made the day for the boys. He came earlier while Lincoln's cereal bowl was on the table and he ate the rest of the Cinnamon Toast Crunch out of the bowl and drank the milk. He tipped the bowl over at one point so he was drinking the milk off the table in this picture. The boys thought it was so hilarious. It was good entertainment for 20 minutes or so.

Mexican lunch

Logan is missing one of his front teeth so it made eating s'mores a little more challenging.

View from the Chapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona

Only family picture of the trip. Considering we were completely wind beat, and grungy, I'm impressed with how well we look in the picture.

I love these little guys so much. They are a challenge, they test my patience, they can be naughty but they are the loves of my life and bring us so much purpose and joy.