Our Out-of-this-world Indepence Day

July 5, 2013 By

I usually look forward to the Fourth of July. The fireworks are shot right above our neighborhood so we shut our street down for a huge party. However, this year, our fellow partiers all went on vacation so I feared our celebrations would be a bust.

The Ice Cream

We decided to make our own fun, starting with a holiday tradition that would be an even better tradition if we remembered to do it every year: homemade ice cream. The night before the holiday, Hadley and I made the most unbelievable snickerdoodle ice cream but here’s a tip: the recipe only made 1.5 quarts.If you want to keep your man happy, you will go back in the kitchen and make two more batches. Good thing we all benefited from it.

While the ice cream was churning, we had the best time playing on the front lawn and doing shadow puppet plays with the flashlight on the porch. Hadley and I went for a walk around our neighborhood in our PJs.

Because we’re those kind of neighbors. #SunglassesatNight

The Breakfast

We always start our July 4th by waking up early for our church’s stake pancake breakfast and patriotic program.Gotta love the tongue in this one. Pancake-eating takes a lot of concentration.

The Day at the Museum

Then, because we had no plans, Jamie suggested we go to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Bode is obsessed with space so Jamie bought him a Living Social deal. Little dude was in his element and we were shocked that the normally cram-packed museum was nearly empty. We raced from exhibit to exhibit without any lines and delighted in the Planetarium’s Cosmic Journey: A Solar System Adventure.

Our tickets included an IMAX. We really wanted to see Great White Shark 3D or Galapagos 3D but the show times didn’t work for us so we reluctantly settled upon Flight of the Butterflies 3D. It. Was. Unbelievable. IMAX always does a great job not only telling a story but sharing a journey and this one literally had me in tears…as I marveled over butterflies. Go see it; you won’t be disappointed.

The Party

Though 99 percent of the world bailed on us for our evening festivities, we had our good friends pull through. Bonus: they have six kids so that means it’s an instant party wherever they go. My friend Eva is an unbelievable cook so brought a full spread of food and we threw in our ice cream and made patriotic dessert pizzas (delish recipe here) for good measure. It turned out to be a fun night of great conversation, croquet and fireworks.

And the biggest announcement of all? We slept in the next morning, which rarely happens. I’m usually awake between 5:30-6 a.m. and crashed until 8:45 a.m., Hadley slept ’til 9:30 a.m. and Bode achieved a personal “high score” for sleeping: 10:24 a.m.

It was a winning holiday for all. Happy Independence Day, everyone!

Filed Under: Bode, Family, Hadley, holidays

The Johnson Family’s Shortest (and worst) Camping Trip Ever

July 1, 2013 By

I have tried to instill a love of nature in my kids–just last week we went hiking four times, my daughter recently returned from YMCA of the Rockies’ traditional overnight Camp Chief Ouray and at the end of July they’re both enrolled in Avid4Adventure’s Survival Skills Camp. We are an outdoor-loving family!

But my favorite childhood memories are of camping and that is one area in which we’ve fallen short with my own family.  There is nothing like the sense of community at campgrounds, playing with new BFFs, eating tin foil dinners and s’mores, exploring and exploring some more, and telling stories around the campfire.

Here’s a recap of our camping trips since having kids.

Trip 1: Hadley had just turned 1 and was a horrible sleeper so she wailed all night long two nights in a row. Our campsite at Golden Gate Canyon State Park was on a slope. Hadley had just learned to walk so was falling over every few feet and when she wasn’t face-planting, she was trying to crawl into the fire pit. Our three-day weekend was cut a day short.

Trip 2: We took a few years off from camping to get pregnant and have our son Bode. When he was 2, we joined our good friends at Eleven Mile State Park. Never been? Keep it that way. I’d read about it in FamilyFun magazine and it was a huge, barren disappointment. In addition to camping, capsizing and crying, my baby had the most disgusting, explosive case of diarrhea and I spent hours at the camp laundromat cleaning out his car seat and clothes. (Ugly details here).

Trip 3: Waterton Lakes National Park, Canada. This is my favorite place on earth and I was ecstatic to introduce my kids to this wonderland that borders Glacier National Park. Sure there were minor hiccups (such as near-hurricane-strength winds) but it was our best camping trip to date.

Trip 4: Bear Lake State Park. Last year, Mile High Mamas partnered with Coleman for the Great American Campout. It had all the fixins for an amazing weekend with horseback riding, games, gourmet camp meals and kayaking. But do you remember that record-breaking 105-degree day last June? ‘Nuff said.

Trip 5: Camp Dick last weekend. This was going to be our year. The kids are 7 and 9 and the perfect ages for camping. Check-in wasn’t until 2 p.m. so we had a few hours to kill when we arrived at this campground set in a glacial valley just off the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway.

The kids caught butterflies and threw rocks in the adjacent Middle Saint Vrain Creek and we hiked a portion of the Buchanan Pass Trail.

We have been united with our fellow Coloradoans in praying for rain to defray the horrible wildfires…we just didn’t want the drought to end right then. All was going shockingly well until we felt our first raindrop. We’d waded through near hurricanes and diarrhea; a bit of rain wasn’t going to deter us.

Then it started down-pouring so we raced back to the car and ate lunch. Earlier, we’d spotted the remains of the previous night’s hail storm but miracles–the weather broke a half-hour later and we still had plenty of time to explore before we could set-up our tent.

Adventurous Hadley (who no longer falls every few feet and cries all night), discovered a faint trail on the other side of the creek so we bush-whacked our way to my children’s version of wonderland: a massive boulder field. We spent the next hour free-climbing these rock monsters and Hadley and my husband braved a steep slope to a cossetted cave. I hung back with my more-cautious Bode who called out encouragements such as “you know you can crack your head open and slide all the way down.”

Kid needs a lesson or two on pep talks.

Then all hell (or rather, hail) broke loose and it could not have come at a worse time. We were forging back through the forest when Bode slipped and hurt himself. Not even 5 seconds later, hail started pounding us and blinded, we lost the trail that was already barely there, forcing us to wade over a swamp land and practically toss now-hysterical Bode across the creek.

When we arrived at the road, we still had over a mile to where we’d parked our car at the trailhead but our soon-to-be acquired campsite was right around the corner. “I’ll run and get the car and you go to camp,” I bravely volunteered. Come hail or high-water, I would lead my family to safety!

I raced through the campground, hail pelting and drenching every inch of my body. It seemed like an eternity before I reached the car but I raced back to our campsite and saw my poor little family hunkered down under a tree trying to shield themselves from the frozen sheets of ice.

“We’ve taken a vote,” my husband announced.
“What is it?” I already knew the answer.
“We’re ready to go home.”

I looked at our campsite, the mud puddles thick from the previous night’s storm were now filled with snow. We could have toughed it out if we were staying in a camper but there was nowhere to setup our tent.  And most importantly, the sky ‘s furry was just getting started.

We called it a day at 1:30 p.m., just 4.5 hours from the time we left our house.

Better luck next year.

Filed Under: Canada, Colorado, Family, Family travel, Favorite Posts, Hadley, hiking, Humor, Jamie, outdoors, travel Tagged With: , , ,

June Travels: Our Crazy Life According to Instagram

June 30, 2013 By

My work-life balance has been nil with waaaaay too much playtime with the kids. I’m hoping to write about all our hiking adventures (and believe me, there are MANY) but until that time, my iPhone tells the story of our first month of summer break.

Chautauqua in Boulder

Our month-long party started with a glorious getaway to Chautauqua in Boulder complete with a charming cottage, emerald hikes bursting with jeweled wildflowers, a gourmet meal at the Dining Hall and Snow White reenacted by Theatre-Hikes Colorado.

Chautauqua in Boulder

Chautauqua meadow outside of our cottage

Snow White Theatre Hike!

With a kickoff to summer like that, it’s hard to go wrong. And we haven’t.

Giving Back

One day, we did a tour of the Food Bank of the Rockies where we learned about their kid’s program Kung Food Fighters to teach kids how to help fight child hunger.

Food Bank of the Rockies

But obviously not how to do Kung Foo moves.

Kicking It

Then there was the Colorado Rapids, our first-ever professional soccer game.

Colorado Rapids

We expect greater things from our soccer-playing son now.

Cave of the Winds

OK, technically our trip to Colorado Springs and The Broadmoor was late-May but I need to fit in our awe-inspiring cave tour of the 500-million-year-old Cave of the Winds, which was discovered in 1881.

Cave of the Winds

An exciting new addition to the already-cool caves is the Wind Walker Challenge Course. This three-story obstacle course is located on the rim of a 600-foot drop into Williams Canyon and has a challenging maze of steel beams, swinging ropes and ladders. Bode barely met the height requirement and I was proud of him for trying.

Wind Walker Challenge Course

Though it may take him a few years to recover from it. #Scary

Utah Fun

While Hadley was at Camp Chief Ouray for a week, Bode took his first solo flight to Utah. But then I crashed his party on the last day by scheduling a business trip in Park City where I also crammed in a quick hike to the Living Room, roller-bladed the Jordan River Parkway for the first time in 10 years (we’ve both changed!), had a cousin sleepover with the edible twinnies and storytime with Grandma.

Utah!

Talk about a memorable trip!

Carnivores Unite

Then, Bode and I headed straight up to YMCA of the Rockies near Winter Park where we got a tour of Hadley’s camp and had some fun adventures of our own. Sane people would have turned around after picking her up but not us. We headed further west into the mountains for our Father’s Day tradition: the Frisco BBQ Challenge where we met up with carnivore-loving Jamie.

Golden Breckenridge

But the fun didn’t stop there during that masochistic week (I crammed in four trips, but who’s counting?) Breckenridge is just a 15-minute drive away from Frisco and if we were to have a cabin anywhere, it would be there. It was like coming home as we spent the morning at Peak 8 Fun Park, which boasts the most awesome line-up of summer activities of any of Colorado’s ski resorts with an alpine coaster AND slide, gold panning, a maze, bungee trampoline, miniature golf and a bounce house.

Breckenridge Peak 8 Fun Park

We were thrilled to be in Breckenridge during Kingdom Days, which celebrates the town’s colorful history.

Or rather, lack of color as you can see from this old-fashioned photo. Note to self: Next time stay and watch Kingdom Days’ uproarious Outhouse Races.

Breckenridge was founded back in the 1860s thanks to the many gold discoveries. I have always wanted to go on a mine tour and was thrilled when Country Boy Mine Tour was a part of our itinerary.

Country Boy Mine Tours

There is still gold in them thar hills but it costs more money to extract it than it is worth. Following the tour, we panned for gold and Hadley unearthed a real sliver of gold, which I then proceeded to lose.

So much for our chance at millions.

Breckenridge is part of an extensive paved trail system that connects to mountain towns Frisco, Dillon, Keystone, Copper Mountain and Vail. That evening, Hadley was exhausted after her week at camp so Jamie stayed behind while Bode and I took to the trail. I had an epiphany: almost exactly two years ago, Hadley took her first solo flight to Utah (like Bode) and she first tested out her new mountain bike on Breckenridge’s trail system, just as Bode and I did that evening on his newly-minted mountain bike.

New bikes on the Breckenridge bike path: Hadley (2011) and Bode (2013)

His ride went smashingly on the dirt trails…until he ended up slowly smashing into the bridge. Luckily he made a quick recovery.

Party Boy

For the past few years, we have been in Canada for Bode’s July birthday, which has resulted in a number of “pretend birthdays” leading up to the real deal. He wanted to celebrate with his buddies at Big Time Fun Trampoline Center and it was the cheapest, easiest party I’ve ever thrown: Invite friends, buy cake, show up.

Big Time Partiers

Why have I been killing myself all these years with parties, food and entertainment at my house?

Finally a Fish

For the third year in a row, I organized summer swim lessons for some of my good friends from our ward. It is a two-week pool party for the kiddos and a lot of fun to hang out with the Real Housewives of Jefferson County.

And most noteworthy? Bode has finally figured out how to swim and graduated from Squids, which is the first time he has ever passed a swim class. There may be hope yet.

Camping Disasters

I was looking forward to our camping trip yesterday to Camp Dick in the Roosevelt National Forest. Like so many of our adventures, it started well with blue skies, beautiful hikes, creek-playing and boulder-scaling.

Camp Dick

But then ended so very, very badly. Details tomorrow.

Lyons Soda Fountain

But I suggest you drown your sorrows with ice cream sodas, floats, freezes, phosphates and classy sundaes at Lyons Soda Fountain, one of the state’s best preserved and oldest soda fountains in Lyons, Colo. Because ice cream makes everyone feel better.

A Little Bit of Magic

Lest you think we haven’t had any downtime in June, think again. Every chance we got, whether we were at the park, in the car driving 14,265 feet to Mount Evans’ summit or in the basement, I was reading the kids their newest obsession: Time well spent in what turned out to be a magical month.

Filed Under: Bode, Colorado, Family, Family travel, Hadley, hiking, Jamie, outdoors, travel, Utah Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Dratted Marmot/Beaver at YMCA of the Rockies

June 27, 2013 By

You’d think as much as I rave about YMCA of the Rockies that I worked for them (maybe someday?) One of the bonuses of enrolling your child in Camp Chief Ouray is taking some time to play at YMCA of the Rockies Snow Mountain Ranch. My son Bode and I timed our 30-hour visit perfectly: get a tour of the camp, attend the dance and closing Vespers ceremony and spend the rest of the time exploring.

We’ve frequently visited Snow Mountain Ranch in the wintertime but this was our first summer visit. With 5,100 acres, it is considerably larger than its more popular 860-acre Estes Park counterpart, which meant more to conquer. In the winter, we’ve focused on outdoor (Nordic skiing/tubing/snowshoeing/skating) and indoor (roller-skating, swimming, archery, climbing wall and gym play) so this time around, we tried to do some different activities. From miniature golfing to making a Father’s Day gift at the impressively-stocked craft center, to capitalizing on the playground at Indian Peaks Lodge to snuggling up by the campfire.See that stuffed animal on the top left? I promised Bode I’d buy it for him at the gift shop if he did the 3 mile round-trip hike on the Waterfall Trail with me. Normally he’s a great hiking buddy but he was dragging that day and a little extra motivation was necessary.

The trail is perfect for families and was both beautiful and fascinating. The area boasts an active beaver population so not only did we pass dams and ponds but also gnawed-off trees. Upon arriving at the waterfall, we skipped the crowds at the base and followed the trail to the top of the waterfall where we spent the next hour throwing and then watching rocks and sticks fall to their death over the bustling waters.
We also marveled as a Colorado kid tied a hammock on each side of the creek right before the falls and then leisurely hung out–one false move would have sent him over the waterfall. #OnlyInColorado

Good thing I am not his mother

We were so inspired after our hike (Bode was boasting about our adventures through some “perilous” marshlands), he declared his souvenir de choix from the gift shop was going to be his very own beaver.

P.S. We later figured out it was actually a marmot. Close enough.

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In case you missed them:

A Week of Independence: The Johnson Kids Do Utah and Camp

Dancing Queen: Why It’s Good to Be Young and Sweet at Camp Chief Ouray

Protesting the End of Camp Chief Ouray

Hadley’s Camp Chief Ouray Highlights: Kitchen-raiding Mammoth-capturing Fun

Filed Under: Bode, Colorado, Family travel, hiking, outdoors, travel Tagged With: ,

Hadley’s Camp Chief Ouray Highlights: Kitchen-Raiding, Mammoth-Catching Fun!

June 26, 2013 By

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve picked up the kids from school and asked, “So, what did you do at school today?” Their universal response: “Not much.” End of discussion.

That couldn’t/didn’t happen after Camp Chief Ouray. Not only did Hadley talk my ear off for hours about it, the administrative staff wisely compiled a list of questions for parents to ask their kids in order to relive their experience. I sat down with Hadley and the operative word during our interview was “fun.”

I heard you ended each day with a campfire and Vespers. Could you tell me about them?

This was a fun way to end the day. All the campers would sit down at the campfire and the leaders would tell us stories and do some fun skits and plays. When that was over, we’d put down our backpacks and the entire camp would get in a huge circle around the campfire. We’d cross our arms right over left and, while holding hands, we’d say a prayer. Then, we’d sing the “Day is Done” song and we’d be dismissed to go back to our cabins where we would go to bed. Some of us sooner than others. :-)

Did your cabin get to sleep out one night? What was it like to sleep under the stars without a tent?

We camped out in the meadow at Pole Creek and it was so beautiful. Even though the camp wasn’t very far from our cabin, it was hard carrying our sleeping bags and pads by ourselves. We cooked hamburgers and s’mores over a campfire, followed by a fun tag game called Camouflage.  It was cool sleeping under the stars but I was like a Popsicle that night. My Dad told me to bring a warmer sleeping bag but I wanted the blue one so I was really cold. My counselors Laura and Lindsay were so nice they let me snuggle up between them to stay warm all night. In the morning, we were the first ones back to our cabin and it was nice to get warm. (Mother’s note: next year she will listen to her dad’s counsel about the sleeping bag!)

What were your favorite activities?

*My favorite activity was horseback riding and I learned to canter and trot. On the last day, I even rode my horse bareback!!! There are lots of horses at camp and I had a different one every day. Dandelion was my favorite horse because she did exactly what she knew she was supposed to do.

*On the last night, Laura and Lindsay snuck our cabin of 10 girls into the Dining Hall’s kitchen. When we got there, another counselor of a boy’s cabin was there and put his finger up to his lips telling us to be quiet; he was stealing a whole bunch of chocolate ice cream! We raided the kitchen, grabbing cookies for ourselves and then RAN out. It was so cold that night (I was wearing shorts) but we so much fun!! We made lots of noise because we were laughing so hard. Other cabins raided the kitchen, too but we didn’t see them doing it.

*We played so many fun games with our cabin and other camps. One of my favorites was Ninja where we’d jump up, get in a Ninja pose where we’d pretend to cut off each other’s arms.

*I did arts and crafts and made a pot for my dad for Father’s Day that was all different colors like purple, yellow, blue and black. Now, we’ll both have something to remember from camp!

*I also really liked Kitchen Creation where we learned how to make different foods. The first day, we made frozen Popsicles (they were easy and really delicious). The second day, we made vanilla ice cream in a bag. My counselors were the ones in charge and they did a good job.

Can you teach me some of the songs you sang at camp?

It seemed like we were always singing. One of my favorite songs was a game as well–”Down by the banks of the Hanky Panky where the bull frogs jump from bank to banky….”

They’d even make silly songs out of really simple things. When we had announcements, we’d ALL sing really loudly before they started: “ANNOUNCEMENTS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, ANNOUNCEMENTS. HEY, TERRIBLE DEATH TO DIE, TERRIBLE DEATH TO DIE. TERRIBLE DEATH TO BE TAUGHT TO DEATH, A TERRIBLE DEATH TO DIE!” It was really random but funny.

The Dining Hall was so much fun because all of the campers at ate at the same time. DJ Lollypop did a few songs for us on the final morning and my mom says she could hear us laughing and singing from her lodge all the way across camp.

What kinds of chores did you have to do to

Every day we had to keep our stuff in order because while we were gone in the afternoons, someone came by to check. We did pretty good. (Mom’s note: I’ll attest to that. During my tour, we peeked into her cabin and it was very orderly. The boy’s adjacent cabin? Another story). For horseback riding, we had to groom the horses, clean the dirt off their feet and put a blanket and saddle on them.

Camp friend Zoe

Who was your best friend at camp?

My best friend was named Zoe. She was in my cabin and we also did horseback riding together as well as lots of other things. She was really nice and fun. We were all good friends in our cabin and got along great.

What did you talk about in your devotions before you went to bed at night?

Every night before bed, we’d gather together and talk about our day. Sometimes we’d talk about our feelings at camp, stories about good and hard things we’ve had happen in our lives (one time we talked about how we got our scars). Other times, we’d play little games. It was a nice way to get to know the girls in our cabin better.

Daily flag raising

What was your favorite all-camp game?

Every week they picked a theme for camp and ours was Ice Age. The cabin that got the most into it–had the most “spirit”–won the Spirit Stick. It has been a camp tradition for a long time. The winners got to paint this year’s Spirit Stick and they’re all hanging on the wall in the Dining Hall. We didn’t win but we were still spirited.

One of my favorite games was when Russian scientists unfroze cave men and we were in charge of capturing all the extinct animals from the Ice Age. This huge chase game had saber-toothed tigers, mammoths, possums and sloths. It was really hard to capture them because the counselors were dressed up and some of them were fast (saber-tooths were the quickest). We had to catch each of them in a different way. I.e. possums you could tag but the mammoths we had to hold hands with the mammoth in the middle. For the tigers,  we’d have to encircle them and sing a song so they’d be entranced and wouldn’t tag us.

I loved camp so much because we had lots of games, horses, great counselors. It was SO MUCH FUN and I can’t wait to go back next  year and bring my little brother!

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On the final day of camp, each of the kids received an all-camp picture, a Certificate of Achievement from her counselors and another certificate from her riding instructor.

“Hadley: Work on picking hooves and trotting! You were awesome to have in class and I hope to see you next year! Love, Claire.”

On the back of her camp certificate, her beloved counselors wrote notes:

Miss Hadley!

I have so enjoyed having you in Chippewa this week! Your adorable giggle and spunky personality made the week so fun! I hope you had a blast with the horses and that you continue finding things to do that you are passionate about. This quality will serve you well. :-) Have a great rest of your summer!

Loves of love,

Laura

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Hadley,

What an awesome young girl you are. I love how bubbly and silly you are and I think everyone in the cabin learned how to have some fun with you around. I am so proud of how willing you are to try new things (horseback riding, caveman dressing up, etc.) You are such a beautiful person on the inside and out. I know you are going to do great things in the world.

Love,

Lindsay

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All pictures taken by Miss Hadley with her trusted disposable camera. Stay tuned tomorrow for Bode’s and my adventures at YMCA of the Rockies including the beaver that wasn’t really a beaver.

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In case you missed them:

A Week of Independence: The Johnson Kids Do Utah and Camp

Dancing Queen: Why It’s Good to Be Young and Sweet at Camp Chief Ouray

Protesting the End of Camp Chief Ouray

Filed Under: Colorado, Family, Family travel, Hadley, outdoors, travel Tagged With: ,

Protesting the End of Camp Chief Ouray

June 25, 2013 By

There was great mourning in the land on Hadley’s final day at Camp Chief Ouray near Winter Park, Colo. Bode and I stayed at Indian Peaks Lodge, a (long) stone’s throw away from camp and that morning, I sat on our balcony watching the campers file into the Dining Hall for breakfast. I loved listening to their singing and a lot of laughter while they ate–they were relishing every last minute!

Pick-up wasn’t until mid-afternoon so Bode and I spent the day playing at YMCA of the Rockies Snow Mountain Ranch (details forthcoming). Upon arrival, all the parents were ushered into the upper level of the Dining Hall where Camp Director Marty gave us an overview of their week, introduced the staff and showed a short video that gave a brief glimpse at the fun that was had. (See the video here. Hadley is at 1:06 in pink, and 1:48 and 2:07 at the dance wearing purple).

 

Then, the parents went outside to see our happy campers march past holding signs of their cabin names.“It looks like they’re protesting,” Bode observed.

Yeah, protesting having to leave that awesome place.

The parents followed them into the meadow for closing ceremony where each cabin came up and shared their “Camp Magic” that week. For some, it was the raiding the kitchen. For others, it was making new friends and trying new things. For Hadley’s Chippewa cabin, it was “Thank you, David!!”–a tribute to the COO staffer who made all the activities so much fun.

All the parents and kids were then asked to form a large “friendship circle” and hold hands (left over right). YMCA of the Rockies is a non-denominational Christian organization that focuses on core values without in-your-face religious overtones that might make non-believers uncomfortable. A final, simple prayer was shared and we sang the military song “Taps.”

I didn’t know the words to “Taps,” nor were we able to form a round circle but it was nonetheless a touching farewell as Hadley then bid her final good-byes to her beloved cabinmates and counselors, Lindsay and Laura.

 Day is done, gone the sun,
From the lake, from the hills, from the sky;
All is well, safely rest, God is nigh.

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Camp Chief Ouray By the Numbers

6 glorious days at camp

5 nights away from family

4 different horses she rode.

3 days she wore the same pair of socks

2 showers over the course of six days

1 experience of a lifetime

Tune in tomorrow for Hadley’s camp highlights!

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In case you missed them:

A Week of Independence: The Johnson Kids Do Utah and Camp

Dancing Queen: Why It’s Good to Be Young and Sweet at Camp Chief Ouray

 

Filed Under: Bode, Family travel, Hadley, Humor, outdoors, travel

Dancing Queen: Why It’s Good to Be Young and Sweet at Camp Chief Ouray

June 24, 2013 By

Overnight camp. These words have been dripping off my daughter’s lips for months now and last week, all her dreams finally came true: She spent six blessed days and five nights at YMCA of the Rockies’ Camp Chief Ouray at Snow Mountain Ranch near Winter Park, Colo.

I knew she’d love it. I mean, what’s not to love about a gorgeous 5,100-acre mountain setting of streams, meadows and trails and a daily itinerary that included horseback riding, archery, canoeing, hiking, riflery, cabin activities, devotionals and skits at Colorado’s longest-running camp. But I was not prepared for how life-changing it would be.

My son Bode and I were granted special access to come visit on her final night. In fact, by some twist of fate, our room at Indian Peaks Lodge was directly overlooking her cabin.

Chippewa cabin is on the right, Dining Hall on the left

Mom-stalker much?

The Tour

That afternoon, Stephan Rivard, COO’s Travel Coordinator, gave us an animated tour of the grounds that included the Hey O Yankee Fire Ring. The Barn and riding arena. Dining Hall. Carpet ball in the Pavilion. Health Center (free Popsicles, hurray!) Low and high ropes courses. The new Gaga Ball area. Zipline. Kiwani Owapi Fire Ring.

When we entered the boy’s cabin that adjoined Hadley’s, it looked like a bomb had exploded. Clothes and books littered the floor and the sleeping bags on the bunks were the only things that had some semblance of order. I braced myself for Hadley’s cabin but was pleasantly surprised everything was in place–even cleaner than she keeps her room at home.

When I jokingly drew the comparison, Bode came to the defense of his gender. “Boys are just being boys, Mommy!”

Following our mid-day tour, Bode and I had not seen Hadley so returned to our lodge (Camp Chief Ouray is off-limits to the public). As we were leaving for dinner at Schlessman Commons, we spotted her from a distance returning to her cabin. I shouted out across the field. Her bunkmates excitedly pointed us out and she was shocked, then opportunistic. Her first words to us after nearly a week apart?

“I NEED SOME MORE CLOTHES!”

It was, after all, the final night and she had not adequately rationed her clothing.

The Dance

That evening we were granted permission to return for the final festivities and I dutifully delivered some clothes to her cabin. Camp tradition is to hold a final dance, followed by the Closing Campfire Ceremony with games, skits, songs and traditions including the awarding of the Spirit Stick to commemorate the most spirited cabin.

I was the most excited about the dance. Because isn’t it every kid’s dream to have her mother at her very first one?

I still had not seen Hadley face-to-face and I scanned the crowded Pavilion trying to find her. Bode and I perched on a nearby rock and soon she busted through the crowd dancing like a wild woman. I first took in her appearance: purple shirt, shorts and her riding boots.

But then I looked deeper: She was radiant, jubilant and oozing with confidence. She was free. Free from the restrains of deadlines and worldly expectations. Free to figure out who she is and she was bursting with a love of life brighter than the sun at her new-found independence.

She was thrilled to see us after nearly a week apart and returned frequently throughout the evening to dance. Even Bode busted out some moves while alternating between playing in the adjacent fields and scaling the climbing rock with new buddies.

The Heartbreak

The dance was a microcosm of the pains and joys of growing up. The youngest campers were 7 and the girls lined the benches dancing while the boys rough-housed in the meadow. Hadley’s 9-year-old group of girls non-committedly flitted around dancing with everyone and throwing caution to the wind as DJ Lolly Pop blasted their favorite tunes. The early teens were starting to pair off or stood awkwardly together while trying not to seem like they were awkward.

Oh, those were the days.

Crazy costumed counselors

We chuckled at the heartbreak when a 7-year-old girl confronted her age 10-ish “boyfriend” who had broken up with her. She even pulled his counselor into the drama, demanding he ask her to dance (all the while standing defiantly with her arms crossed and foot tapping a hundred miles a minute).

Even my own 6-year-old Bode had some action of his own. He was hanging out with me on the rock when a tween hottie asked him to dance. Stunned into silence, he turned bright red before literally crawling away on the rock. But she didn’t give up. Fifteen minutes later, she was back and oh-so sweetly repeated her offer. He looked at me to save him.

“Go dance with her.”

He shook his crimson head, steam coming out of his ears. Why did a girl want to dance with him?

“That’s fine if you don’t want to dance but you need to at least say something and politely decline.” It was one of those teachable moments in which I wanted to bust out laughing.

“I don’t want to dance right now,” he mumbled. At least I think that’s what he said before I apologetically thanked the sweet girl and bookmarked the moment for future blackmail.

While 99 percent of the campers were having a blast, they were a few outliers who did not join in. I watched them carefully throughout the evening to gauge their temperature. One boy was in tears and his counselors took turns staying with him before he eventually joined some of his friends to play carpet ball in the Pavilion.

A teen-aged girl sat on a rock and initially appeared disinterested but after a while, I noticed her foot was injured. I watched as her counselors and friends frequently came to check on her before one ultimately stayed by her side, though I’m sure she would have liked to have been in on the action.   Most of these kids had not known each other six days prior and here they were perfectly exemplifying inclusivity. Camaraderie. True friendship.

The Rousing End

The conclusion of the dance is when they really brought the house down when the Village People’s “Y-M-C-A” blasted out over the speakers. Everyone tore into the pavilion to act out each letter but instead of singing “It’s fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.,” they screamed “Camp Chief Ouray.”

Me thinks this is the letter “C.”

Gotta give them props that it still rhymed.

I thought that was the rousing ending; little did I know I was one step away from being trampled. When the final song “Send me on my way” by Rusted Root blasted out, everyone rushed in my direction. I ducked for cover, bracing my newly-recovered lover-boy son as the entire camp literally flew past us and poured outside. A counselor later explained it is camp tradition to race to the meadow and dance like a hippie when that final song came on.

I don’t know about “hippies” but I  do know after catching a glimpse of a camp heaped in over 100 years of tradition in the most iconic of mountain settings, there sure were a lot of very overjoyed, deliriously happy kids who were, indeed, being “sent on their way.”

===

In case you missed them:

A Week of Independence: The Johnson Kids Do Utah and Camp

Dancing Queen: Why It’s Good to Be Young and Sweet at Camp Chief Ouray

Protesting the End of Camp Chief Ouray

Hadley’s Camp Chief Ouray Highlights: Kitchen-raiding Mammoth-capturing Fun

 

Filed Under: Bode, Colorado, Favorite Posts, Hadley, outdoors, travel Tagged With: ,

Be Brave

June 22, 2013 By

I first saw Sara Bareilles’ video Brave over a month ago and started doing the big, ugly cry because I loved the message so, so much.  I see my kiddos being brave every day–from Hadley going to a week-long camp to Bode flying to Utah last week. Childhood is about exploration, self-discovery and pushing limits. But then something happens in adulthood: routines and complacency.

I was talking to a friend last week and she joked her life is boring…just how she likes it.  And she does. I’d personally want to whither and die if my life was boring but she’d have an ulcer if she walked a day in my shoes; what works for her definitely would not be for me. But bravery is something we all could need a lot more of, whether they’re big or little things. I can think of a dozen things I’d love to try but haven’t.

This song and video inspired me to be and try more. Do yourself a favor and watch it.

Click the link here if you can’t watch it.

And then pick just one thing you’ve going to BE BRAVE about today.

Filed Under: Health

Natural Disaster Zone

June 21, 2013 By

My two worlds have converged into a natural disaster zone. In Colorado, it’s more wildfires than I can count, over 500 homes lost and many more still threatened. When I returned home from Utah last week, the smoke in Denver was thick.

Black Hills Fire, USA Today

Then in my hometown Calgary, torrential rains have led to flooding on a disastrous scale, thousands evacuated including the downtown area and rain-swollen rivers have literally taken over the city. Fortunately, though we live in south Calgary (which has been hit hard), my family lives on higher ground and are safe. But seeing these pictures of my favorite stomping grounds is heartbreaking.

via @cbcscott

One of the great things about Calgary is the extensive network of bike paths and the Elbow and Bow River are the veins that connect it all. Now, they have taken over the city and it devastating to see my favorite parks, trails and bridges washed away.

Ravenous River via @kirkstokes123

NationalPost.com

Elbow Falls is one of my family’s favorite haunts just outside of Calgary. It is sobering to see the before and after. Don’t think we’ll be visiting in a couple of weeks.

via @chadmsaunders

The world-famous Calgary Stampede starts on July 5, 2013. The grounds are completely flooded.

Stuart Dryden, Calgary Sun

My brother Pat was golfing with clients in Banff when the deluge hit. He is currently stranded outside of Canmore because the highways are closed.

National Post, Canmore

He and his family live on a beautiful bluff overlooking the Bow River. My niece Emily posted this one:
My sister-in-law Jane, however, is taking it all in stride. She shared the following on Facebook with the caption “Survival Food.”
You will note the Tums.

With the massive clean-up ahead of them, they’re gonna need it.

Follow the flood updates on Twitter at #YYCFlood.

Filed Under: Canada

Confessions of an Unknowlledgeable Spelling Bee Judge

June 19, 2013 By

A while back, I posted the following on Facebook:

“After spell-checking it several times, it appears I do not know how to spell ‘knowledgeable.’ The irony is not lost on me.”

Later that day, my friend Lisa asked me to be a judge at our elementary school’s Spelling Bee.

“Did you see my status update this morning?” I jokingly queried.

She hadn’t, which is a good thing because I might have disqualified myself before even entering.

Spelling Bees weren’t around when I was a kid and I was pleased to learn that my role as one of three judges was stress-free. All I had to do was ensure the announcer pronounced the word clearly and the student spelled it correctly.

Though I was disappointed buzzers weren’t involved. Or gongs.

As the fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade kids filed into the gym their apprehension and excitement was palpable. We did a practice round before delving into the main event. The students were asked to first pronounce the word and were not permitted to go back and correct any errors. They were allowed to have one incorrect answer but if they got two wrong, they were disqualified.

Those first few rounds, I was a basket case as I willed each and every one of those burgeoning scholars to get the correct answer. Their triumphs were my triumphs, their sorrows my sorrows (a poker face has never been my strong suit).

By round three, I was ready for the heads to roll with some tougher words. Stalling was an often-used technique. “Umm, can you repeat the word?” “What is the definition of the word?” “Can you please use it in a sentence?”

Sometimes, the definitions were more mind-boggling than the word. For “formula,” it was explained as “a symbolic expression showing the composition or constitution of a chemical substances consisting of symbols for elements present and subscripts to indicate the relative or total number of atoms present in a molecule when the number exceeds one.”

Hey, Spelling Bee Definition Writing Geniuses, how about something like, “What babies drink” or a “single-seat racing car.”

The practical applications were much more amenable. For “contrary,” the explanation was, “Contrary to what she would have said last year, Shelby no longer believes Justin Bieber is the most handsome boy in the world.”

That elicited some giggles from the crowd, likely from The Bieber-haters.

Several rounds later, three winners were crowned out of a pool of thoroughly impressive students. Following the completion, Anna, a cute sixth grader from church came up to my friend Jenn (a fellow judge) and me.

“I was so nervous when I saw you were a judge because you’re the Bishop’s wife!” she said, pointing to Jenn. Her mom then divulged she was a basket case when she saw I was judging as well, for what reason I have no idea. I’ll chalk it up to my overwhelmingly good hair day.

And I assured her she was much more knowllegeabble about spelling than yours truly.

Filed Under: Humor
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