Grand Camp 2008- Little Pioneers

A few summers ago my parents started a tradition called Grand Camp. They plan a really fun mini camp for the grandkids and they have a fun theme for each year. This year the theme was PIONEERS, and it was so much fun! Grandma and Grandpa Reeves spent months preparing for it, (when they weren't at work, girl's camp, nauvoo etc.) and made it really special for all the grandkids. Their hard work included making a small handcart, pioneer outfits, little wooden boxes with each grandchild's name on them filled with little "treasures", a camping cup, guns for the boys, pioneer dolls for the girls, pioneer games, and pioneer stories, but the best part about it was that they shared their feelings and testimonies of the pioneers with the grandkids and taught them what it means to be a pioneer.

I have always had a soft spot in my heart for the sacrifices of the pioneers and even giving it my best efforts and reading about them, I cannot imagine what they must have been through. Seeing my little girls in their pioneer clothes walking around (with comfortable tennis shoes) in the wilderness (a camp site) really made me think about how the mother pioneers must have felt. Really, how did they walk, and walk, and walk, and walk, and walk? They prepared the feast (so to speak) and I am the one eating.

I humbly wonder if I could wrap my baby in a quilt and lay her in the ground for the wolves, feed my girls only two or three ounces of flour a day (The Martin and Willey handcart companies), lay them on frozen ground, carry them across frozen rivers, and still be willing to say "All is well, All is well." Needless to say, it was a good opportunity for me to reflect on the faith of my forefathers, and even my parents and family right now. I still remember having a conversation with my sister Toni about this once, and she said, "Do you think we could do it? Could we be pioneer mothers? I think we could if we had each other."

My little pioneers
Helping each other
Ready for the trek

The youngest pioneer (and the dirtiest in the end)
Scout loved her "pioneer" every day she asks me if she can wear her "pioneer"

I am sure the Pioneers would love to have this cooking crew!


Or would they rather have a nice camper to wake up in?


Playing pioneer bingo in the camper

Boston wanted to be a "modern" pioneer in the Rhino
Thank you Toni and Scott for the awesome Rhino rides!
And for the Camper too. :)

Little pioneer children sang as they walked and walked

Jakey, Boston and Grandma

The little Handcart

Off they go!

Little pioneer children laughed and cried as they took pictures, and took pictures and took pictures.....

The handcart was loaded

Modern pioneers in the Rhinos!



Pancake mouth and camping hair




Our family as pioneers

Grandma and Grandpa

Ben's one-of-a-kind HUMONGOUS Burger

"The perfect burger" as he called it :)

Hershey's Hat

Grandma and Grandpa Reeves just got home from Nauvoo and Chicago!! They brought home a Hershey's hat for each of the grandkids from the Hershey's shop in Chicago, and Scout absolutely loved hers. She wore it until there was a hole in it, and then she stole Boston's and wore that until there was a hole in that as well. I took this picture of her in her hat and pajamas. She spent a good portion of her day the next day playing "Baker guys" (as she calls it) with Boston. Their new favorite thing to play at the moment is "Groceries" so the hat fit right in with the daily playtime theme!

Cabella's

Okay- Ben received a gift certificate to Cabella's from work, and the other evening we drove up to have a little look around. Have you ever received a gift certificate to a store and then not been able to choose something even though it is basically free? If so, you would relate well with Ben. I have to tease him about this becasue he would look at a bunch of things and then say, "Well, I just can't justify that." Then I would say, "It's basically free Ben." We had a real comical time looking around for something. Obviously I don't have any trouble just waliking in and picking something I would never just go buy, but since we balance each other out so well, we didn't pick anything at all....at least not yet....We would both look at something and say, "this could be a good thing to have" or "How about this?" and then we would just move on to something else. We are leaning toward the Camp Chef. What do you think? Of course Scout and Boston just go for the fish and animals. Happy gift certificate shopping! :)

Scouty and Boston outside Cabella's

Summer BBQs

One of the best things about summer is that you can eat outside! I just thought I would post a couple of pictures of the girls at some of our recent BBQs. Havinig picnics and BBQs is something I always miss when winter comes around.

Watermelon at the ward BBQ

Scout and her friend Meridian eating at the ward party

Scout and Kaia at Uncle Glen and Michelle's house for farewell BBQ for Danielle

Scout and Boston dumping all the drinks at Glen and Michelle's

Tuesdays with the Kamalu Family

This summer Ben's weekly day off is Tuesday, and our little family has come to love the fun things we do together on Daddy's day off. I posted a few of the fun things we have done and do when we have a day together as a family. We almost always end the day with a treat, and more than once it has come from Cold Stone. Chocolate ice cream, almonds, brownie, and caramel: Ben's new favorite Cold Stone combo- :) Scout is good with anything as long as it has sprinkles (I even have to put sprinkles on her toast in the morning sometimes) and Boston will eat any treat you give her. We love our Tuesday treats.

Anyway, we enjoyed a little vacation to Bryce canyon with the Kamalu family (okay that was a little bit more than one day off but it was really great), a hike to the Timpanogos Caves, visits to the living planet aquarium (which we think is a rip off, but we have still gone twice ???), swimming, Temple Square just for fun, too many dinners eating out (I actually caught the shrimp in my mouth at Tepanyaki), and of course many, many rounds of ski ball at the BYU game center. Boston and Scout start yelling with excitement before we even reach the door, and I am reminded of how little it takes to please a child. Needless to say, we have loved our days out with Daddy, and we are trying to make the most of the few we have left before the LAST semester starts. Tuesdays have brought laughter, relaxation, a little bit of adventurous disaster, and another summer that has come and gone all too quickly.

Daddy and the girls eating ice cream. We love Tuesdays at Cold Stone. Buy
one kids cup get one free! They are the perfect size for little ones.

Scout: "Mom, can I play baseball at B.I.U?" Mom: "I think you mean ski ball at BYU" I don't know why she says B.I.U. She knows how to say BYU, but it makes me smile every time she says it.

Mommy and Scout getting ready to start the hike.

Our little family

The whole gang! (and Phil's muscles of course)

Boston all snuggled up for the night (It snowed on our tent one night)

What a beautiful Place!

Daddy and the girls freezing at Bryce look-out point

Scout, Daddy, and Boston on the hike to Timp Caves

Mommy's little hiker pal. She hiked the whole thing all by herself. I was very proud of her two-year-old little legs and remined of her tw0-year-old determined spirit.