Jellystone

Last weekend, we set out for our first ever Guess Family Camping Adventure! I had been doing some research on the Jellystone Campgrounds in Estes Park. Several other neighbors and friends wanted to go, so off we went. I wasn't quite ready (and probably will never be) to camp in a tent with my crew, so we rented a cabin. It was perfect. Just a small room with 2 sets of bunk-beds, a small fridge and a bathroom. Thankfully 2 of the couples we went with are veteran campers, so they guided us through meal planning and the ins and outs of camping. It turned out to be a great weekend. Perfect weather, tons of activities for the kids, great meals, and fun by the campfire each night.

Yogi Bear comes out every morning to raise the flag, greet the kids and start the day.

Reagan won "Candy-Bar-Bingo"! She was so proud and she had a whole loot of candy. Don't tell her, but her Daddy ate most of her winnings throughout the course of the weekend!
Addison LOVED hiking!

The whole crew hiked up the mountain behind our cabin several times. The girls were great at it. We saw tons of chipmunks and bunnies, and thankfully no bears or snakes. The chipmunks quickly learned that hanging around our cabin was the place to be. The kids kept them well fed.

Gracyn was a champ. She did great.

Our neighbor had been to Jellystone with her family the week before we all booked. She scooped out the best cabin for us. We were the only ones with this huge deck and such a big private space behind us.

There were lots of fun times on the playground.

Here are 8 of the 11 little girls that made up our group.

My kids were FILTHY!!! They played in serious amounts of dirt. In this picture Gracyn put her head on the metal cage that goes over the campfire. She got plenty of soot from the night before!

Did I mention they were dirty. Those clothes that Reagan has on went directly to the trash.

If you have been reading long, you are familiar with my children's fearlessness and love of climbing. There was a huge boulder behind our cabin that was probably 12 feet tall. All the girls climbed all over it all weekend. I looked up once and saw Reagan swinging from a tree, at least 13 feet high. She launch herself off of the rock and on to a tree limb and was swinging from it. I quickly took a picture and then told her NO MORE!!!

The whole crew at night. 8 adults and 11 little girls. Time for Smores and Jiffy Pop over the fire!

Gracyn DID NOT sleep well throughout the trip. I believe this picture was taken around 9:30 at night, when I took her in and attempted to put her to bed. She was WILD. She loved grabbing the rungs from the top bunk and swinging from them....it seems she has learned a thing or two from her big sisters. She was also launching her body across the bed and doing full forward rolls, pretty impressive for 17 months!

Sunday morning we got cleaned-up (sort off) and headed in to the town of Estes Park. We had a great lunch, several desserts and toured the town. Here are Mackenzie and Reagan waiting on some Bluebell Ice-Cream. That is a rare find out of Texas, but there is a little shop in Estes that carries it.

Our first trip was a big success and I think we will do it again next year. Not too often though, camping is fun but lots and lots of work!!!