Camping and Conference

For the last camping trip of the year we tried a new spot at Joe's Valley Reservoir. The yellow trees around the water were beautiful! And Kyle got to do lots of fishing. He brought his pontoon boat so Bentley especially loved getting to take that out to fish. Also, Kyle owes Kennedy a new pair of pants!

The younger cousins spent most of the weekend putting together performances of singing and dancing on top of the picnic tables.

Kolt just wanted to throw rocks in the water, but he kept getting too close when he's run to throw them in and got pretty muddy.

Kohen loved playing with the worms. He decided to make his own fishing pole so he found a stick and a bubble, asked for some line and then took one of Kyle's hooks and put a worm on it all by himself!

Later, all the kids got out their kites and flew kites for a while. Bentley let Kolt hold his, but the kite just kind of pulled Kolt along and he'd walk behind it.

Once Kohen finally got his up, he was unstoppable. Everyone else went up to the fire, but his was still flying so he just brought it up to the fire with him! He sat down and just held his kite until it finally came down.

More dance numbers for us and we were just laughing at Kolt standing in the front yelling and dancing too.

For dinner we made beef kabobs over the fire and dutch oven potatoes. Kolt was so cute pointing out the moon every time it wasn't hiding behind the clouds and all the "twinkle stars."

Then Kyley had story time under the pavilion with a thing to project the pictures on the ceiling while she read. 

During breakfast poor Tai started choking on her bacon. Kyle was hitting her back and her panicked face while she was trying to pull the bacon out was so sad. I'm glad she's okay!

Once the kids were asleep Kyley and Jordan taught us a new game called Bank. Kyle lost every time until the last time we played and he won!

Between General Conference sessions on Saturday, we collected leaves and the kids made some cute hedgehogs.

But Sunday morning Jordan's starlink wasn't working so we packed up and listened to the first session on the drive home and made it in time to watch the second session. 

While Kyle was dumping the trailer, I gave Kolt an uncrustable sandwich. He took a bite and then I didn't see it anymore. I asked him where it went and he said, "Spill window." He threw it out the window! What a stinker.

Elder Kevin Brown's talk on Saturday was SO good! I don't remember the last time I felt the spirit so strong during conference. It was so powerful I had chills.

"My personal testimony is a gift to be multiplied—not buried."

I just love all the inspiration to improve, be better and know my Savior more. Christ's gospel is just so good. Serving and loving others, becoming more like Christ, knowing that we are children of God, new beginnings- how would anyone not want that?! It just fills my soul. God is good.

"Can I truly be a peacemaker?"

"Do I make the Savior a priority in my life?"

"Do my words life and inspire?"

"How do I use my gifts to bless others?"

"Have you felt Him going about doing good in your life?"

"How firm is your foundation?"

"By which name are you called?"

I also loved when President Oaks said that, "Happy family experiences strengthen family ties. Camping, sports activities, and other recreation are especially valuable to bond families." on the same day we were already camping!

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