First Crowe Camping Trip

When BMW Boy and I were first dating, I remember a conversation where he proceeded to tell me how he hated being dirty, hated not having a shower close, hated bugs, hated critters, and otherwise hated camping. Not being too much of an outdoor girl since my time was spent in rehearsal halls, dance studios and computer labs, I was totally fine with marrying an "indoor boy." I could have gone either way, but I liked the boy so much it wasn't even remotely a deal breaker with me. Since then, we've spent our weekend time doing other things we both love. No worries.

Imagine my surprise when after 6 1/2 years of marriage, BMW Boy announces he wants to go on the Ward (Church) Campout. Yes, going camping when his wife is 7 1/2 months pregnant. Sigh. OK, I guess I'll go.

We borrowed a tent, packed a few bags, bought snacks and stuff for S'mores, made tin foil dinners and went on our way Friday, August 20 to the selected camping site in the mountains above Los Angeles. These mountains were ravaged by wild forest fires last year, so I started to get a bit worried that we'd be pitching tents among blackened tree stumps. It made me miss the Wasatch Front canyons like nothing else. When we arrived to meet the other Ward campers, I was pleased to see that the camp site had a few trees.

As the hubs started putting up the tent, I found a spot in the camp fire to nestle the tin foil dinners in. The hubs didn't double foil the meals, and the foil wasn't "heavy duty," so we lost one of the dinners to the cinders. However, the one meal was plenty for the both of us, since the hubs made both of them HUGE (in normal BMW Boy style). Dinner, dutch oven peach cobbler and several S'mores later, we decided to go on the next adventure... sleeping in the tent... outdoors...

I was worried I wouldn't be able to sleep since I'm normally uncomfortable (being 7 1/2 months pregnant), but it was the hubs who didn't sleep a wink. He was extremely uncomfortable, and jumped with every sound outside. When, in usual preggo fashion, I got up at 3 a.m. to make my trek to the outhouse and started to unzip the tent door, the hubs was particularly jumpy.

HUBS: "Wait! What's that noise?" *** pause *** silence...  "Do you hear someone talking?!" ***pause*** silence...
ME: "I don't hear anything, hunny."
HUBS: "Just wait." ***pause*** silence...  A minute or so goes by...
ME: "Can I go pee now please?"
HUBS: "I guess so."

It was a beautiful, warm, but not too warm night. Didn't even need a jacket. Suddenly, I saw a huge ball of fire dash across the sky and burn out like the end of a 4th-of-July sparkler. It was amazing. I suddenly recalled the many nights of sleeping under the stars in my youth.

That night I got more sleep than the hubs, but that's not saying much. Overall, it was a pleasant event. An adventure for many of us. And would you believe that I wasn't the only preggo from our ward (church)? There are five ladies pregnant in my ward, and four of us showed up and stayed over night!

Aren't they beautiful? Yes, I know I'm missing from the group. I was wearing a red U of U shirt. Just picture an oversize cherry with legs and there ya go.

This cute little guy (Vinny) found this amazing pine cone.

Bishop Hedrick and the Andersons.

This group of "hikers" saw a live bear!

Cute BMW Boy played horseshoes in the morning after a lovely breakfast.