Snowflower Campin'

Since we first visited this RV resort in July 2013 we have been wanting to return. It is one of my favorite places, similar feeling to Sly Park Lake, but higher up, closer to Emigrant Lake, where I have enjoyed backpacking in the past.

Having an RV does make it a bit easier than car camping. I grew up car camping with my mom's side of the family, with aunts and uncles and cousins to boot. It was our tradition, a treasured time we all looked forward to~ spending time playing games, sitting around the fire, and eating junk!

We have morphed that tradition into renting a house once per year as Grammy and Gramps got older. We have not been consistent with this tradition and it is missed.

On the Britton side, everyone has a trailer so it's easy and budget friendly to book a few nights for 20-35$ depending on the place. Most desert camping is very inexpensive, closer to 10$ per night.

I took an excessive amount of photos, as usual... 

Ara loved walking Blue around on her lead.

5,000 feet up didn't phase Owen, he was riding his bike like a bat outta camp!

Sleeping is always a bit rough being in the same space. There were lots of morning and night snuggles. Ara hogged the bed as usual.

Hearts everywhere~ little white one in the rock

To add to the nostalgia Ara was loving playing with one of my dollhouses from when I was wee.

Of course we went on rides in the RZR

Fishing weds and thursday before the crowds. The fish must have been at a different lake.

Our private lake

I stole away daily and ran around the lake. It was a quick and beautiful trail run, probably 2 miles round trip. It was just perfect, just enough privacy yet not too much to be too fearful of critters!

Both of my kids are quite enamored with cousin Mat.

Mat learned to ride his bike without training wheels, and Papa gave it a whirl too. Owen did really well without his trainers too.

Auntie love

A bee flew right on into the path of the lens. The day before a dragonfly flew right onto the center of my shirt and just stayed there for a few minutes. It was amazing to look directly down at a dragonfly~ it seemed like an hour.

Papa and Nana are rarely serious

The adults all got some cardio in chasing the kids around

This one was such a snuggle bug

Papa trying to nap too

The Rock was in the center of our trailers, Owen must have climbed up and down it 1000 times in the few days that we were there.

She kept the helmet on so we went on a ride as a family! Chris put her carseat in the RZR and she was all satcheled down and away we went. She lasted over an hour. The bummer was that her helmet didn't have the microphones like ours did so she had the beautiful silence. We can talk to each other so I had Owen singing BOOM shacka lacka in my ear for part of the ride:).

Cousins playing on the bottom bunk in Nana's trailer.

Parking was a little close to the trees, wouldn't you say?!

We brought so many toys we didn't play with them all~ the kayak was neglected but the bike seats and baseball mits were warm.

We came here in July 2013 (6 months prego) and here were were Sept 2015 same spot

Her second ride was through naptime so she didn't want to get off schedule...

She is a total HAM these days

Nana and Papa were having a mishap with their trailer for about 90 minutes after we had all loaded up. The kids were so amazing, didn't know anything was up. Owen and Mat played with sticks and that stump for about 45 minutes then on to the rock mountain with sticks again. Ara and I collected moss and little sticks with different textures.

It was one for the books!

Nature, family, fun, laughs, good food, and cousin time... We are so blessed.

Remodel is almost done, whew

The floors went in!!! The project is yet to be complete, however... The night the floors went in Chris was outside after the kid's bedtime painting baseboards. I went through our entertainment center that had been sitting outside for about 5 weeks and got rid of about half of our DVD collection. Watch out, I'm feeling purgy! I read an article a while ago about the book and method The Life Changing Magic of Tidying up... And Jac read the book and is putting the method into practice. Unable to download the book version I am cheating a little and following a guide off of the internet... You basically go through all of your belongings category by category (clothes, books, etc) Versus room by room with the goal of halving your belongings.

Isn't it crazy that that is a way to spend time? Getting rid of stuff??!! First world over here, for sure. I took 5 garbage bags to the hospice, 1 of which I was holding onto and had things on varage sale, waiting for someone to buy them. 

Now is a great time for us to get rid of things as we had everything out of the main living areas. Oh it feels good!

None of these photos were staged nor were they taken on the big camera. I'm really obsessed with all the different wood and textures going on. The trim still needs to be re-attached to the island but I just love all the different wood.

The island has random stuff on it yet again but it was not too constructiony. The doors have been open most days which means I'm a fly murderer come bedtime. Yuck.

This used to be where the giant brick mantle and propane stove were, now it houses our little office. The room is so much more spacious and useable. To the left is a pile leftover from a workday. Chris has been working on the house 9-12 daily then leaving for actual work 1-midnight. He has been burning the candle on both ends for sure. Gotta find a way to disguise the cords. 

This is what we are going for eventually, but with less stuff on the shelf and a piece of furniture to hide the printer under the table desk. 

The kids approve of the floors, we have also done our G rated versions of Risky Business, donning socks most evenings regardless of temperature so we can all slide.

Halfway done baseboards and attempting simpler/ less cluttered living. This pic was also taken prior to me mopping so it's a bit dusty.

On the to do list still: finish base boards, touch up paint, move the armoire inside, new door knob to garage (broke at the beginning of the project).