Annual Fun

Our trip to Mt. Madonna each summer with friends is always one of our favorite things to do.

This year, despite staying 3 nights, it felt like it went by way too fast. We may need to add a 4th night next year!

Lots of music around the campfire.

Love how many of these kids are learning instruments.

And card games.

We made good food (including peach cobbler--yum!)

After so many years, we've got things pretty fine-tuned with a good area for serving tables

 and group meals which are nice so no one has to cook every meal.

It was cooler this year with some foggy mornings.

We even found a few banana slugs.

Including a tiny one!

And dog vomit slime mold!

We did a little longer hike this year--about 4.5 miles.

Found a geocache.

And we went down to the beach one afternoon to find a little sunshine,

and so these kids could surf and boogie board.

Lots of Mollky was played, too.

The kids always have too much fun taking pictures.

I love that our kids still want to come home to do this trip with us!

 

So glad we've had so many years camping with these families. Always a good time!

Mt. Madonna 7.0

Maybe our best crew yet--year 7 was amazing, with friends who moved away last summer joining us and bringing so much fun (and good food!)

Lots of slack-lining (and Bug was both the first one to make it across, and I think the champion for number of times he made it.)

But the old guys didn't do too bad, either;)

So many hours of games!

The Nerts podium for 2024.

Most of the group headed down to the beach Thursday afternoon for a couple of hours.

While they surfed, played in the sand,

 swam, and hung out,

I stayed back and took a nap. 

My back was bothering me and getting to lay down and read and sleep for awhile sounded like more fun (which if you know how much I love the beach, actually means something.)

By all reports, they had a blast,

and I was happy for the quiet.

It was also our inaugural trip in the van! Part of why staying back in camp was extra appealing. . .

It's nowhere close to ready, but my back has been really struggling this summer ever since Europe and there was no way I was going to be comfortable sleeping in a tent, so we brought the van and fit two twin beds lengthwise so Daddy-o and I could sleep in a little more comfort. Not going to lie, it was pretty awesome and I can't wait until we have electricity and a raised bed.

It's crazy seeing how much these kids have grown up over the years. We were missing a couple of the other college age kids who have come, so Bean was the oldest of the group this year, but all our littles are getting so old!

A couple other highlights--Prussos raised the bar on our camping food by bringing a pizza oven! 

It was AMAZING and C had a hard time keeping up with the demand--his potato and arugula pizza is out of this world.

We always eat good, thanks to everyone's contributions.

Dance parties during cleanup make it even more fun.

Love this group of campers.

We got out for a hike--it was longer than we'd originally planned and pushed some of us a little.

But it was beautiful!

And we found a geocache! It's been a few years since we tried to do this because the last time involved a lot of crying by a few of the kids, so I'd been afraid to suggest it again, haha.

But I guess one of the benefits of them all growing up is that we can handle the free prizes (or lack of) without tears!

Happy hikers.

And this picture cracks me up! Little camera angle and these two, who are a foot different in height, suddenly look like they may not be the same species! We've got a giant and a dwarf.

Great year.

Lots of fun memories.

Traditional hikes and old friends.

It was a gorgeous 3 days.

It was hard to say goodbye, especially to the Prussos who started the drive back to UT as we were all leaving.

But we'll all be back next year!