Annual Baumgartner Fall Camping Trip

2010 we went to Baumgartner Hot Springs the first weekend in October. It was glorious, so we decided to make it an annual tradition. This time we were joined by Greg and Suz Porterfield and their daughters Zoe and Sophie. The pool is perfect, the trees are just the right hues, the weather is delightful. It is a peaceful end to the camping season that we look forward to all year.

Climbing on the rocks by the pool.

The nature trail

Ready to go swimming and doodling while waiting for the others to get ready.

The gang's all here!

mommy and Sethy boy

Greg and Suz and Sophie and Zoe

Adrian caught a grasshopper in the hot springs pool. This was definitely the summer of the grasshopper for him! he always had a "Pet" grasshopper in a cage all summer long.

Daddy playing ball with Sethy in the 110 degree water. Hot!

The Ultimate peanut butter, chocolate and GIANT marshmallow

Greg and Suz Porterfield devouring the Chocolate, Peanut Butter, and Marshmallow Smores.

Esther helping out with the dishwashing

Relaxing by the fire.

On the way home we stopped at Anderson Ranch Dam to have a picnic lunch and throw rocks in the lake and catch bugs.

Princess Esther

She has a dress for about every princess out there! Here she is in her Sleeping Beauty ("booty") and going into her "high ho" house in the basement to play Snow White with Daddy being the Dwarfs coming home from the mine to find the sleeping princess in the "cleaned up cottage!"

Garden Boxes

In the spring I always get the itch to build something. This year I was at Lowe's studying the lumber possibilities when a guy asked me what I was going to make. I told him raised bed gardens. He just so happened to have made many of them and said he would send me his powerpoint plans with measurements, etc. He also coached me on what kind of wood to get. So, I went home and he was true to his word and sent me the file. A few hours later, I had these beautiful redwood boxes made for our garden. I didn't quite know how much dirt to get, so I bought a dump truck full! They dumped it in our front driveway. MAN!! that was TOO MUCH DIRT! So, I went and bought a bunch more cull lumber and built a total of 11 boxes of various sizes in our backyard. The dirt filled all of them! Hey, it was free delivery if I got that much! The gardening season was more delightful this year as things were out in the sun and had better nutrients.

Monster Jam 2011

Esther got to go this year. I'd say she was kinda scared! They left at intermission because Darin didn't have good hearing protection and the noise was killing his ears. Gotta have those big ol' ear muff sound deadening ear protectors!

Rub a Dub Dub

I guess it's time to stop having kids when you can't fit ONE MORE in the tub! haha!

Awana Grand Prix for Cubbies

Elliot won 2nd place (we think he may have actually tied or won 1st, but the scoring system denied him) He was pretty pleased. His car was red and had a Lego guy driving.

Knights Risinger

Best Friends!

Curly hair!

I made the boys some Knight costumes.