Swimming With Dolphins: Campout With Friends 2010

We made it to our 3rd annual campout with some dear friends of ours. It's become a summer tradition that the kids really look forward to. The group consists of DH's best friend Troy and his three daughters; DH's other best friend Brian, his wife Rosalee, and their five children. For the last two years, our three families have gone to a secluded little campground near Mt. Hood called 8-Mile Loop. It's been a comfortable spot with hiking trails and a creek. The first year, we got a prime spot and had a wonderful time. Last year was DH's first year going and unfortunately he didn't enjoy himself too much. We didn't get as good of a spot and the bees were out in full force.

This year took on many changes. DH is not so much the outdoorsman, so it's been an adjustment for him. Over the year he has tried to adopt a new attitude about camping and many other outside activities, even taking up hunting and fishing...and listening to country music! I've been very proud of him for these efforts. I grew up in a very outgoing family where outdoor recreation and camping was a way of life. We drove everywhere and camped out many weekends in the summer. Whereas DH's family flew everywhere and stayed in hotels on tropical islands. Get the picture? Anyway, we decided to buy my parents' trailer for an amazing deal (thank you mom and dad!). Tenting it just doesn't work for DH, so the trailer has been a blessing in more ways than one. DH has a coworker with a large plot of land that his family uses for camping along the Nehalem River, in the Coastal Range. He allowed us to use it for free, so everyone was willing to give it a try.

All the guys had to work, so we got a late start on Friday. It was evening by the time we arrived and everyone got their stuff set up. After we got the fire started, we roasted hot dogs for dinner. The kids threw rocks in the river and explored the area a bit. By dark, we were ready for s'mores and oh how the kids loved that! DH was exhausted, so he turned in early. We got all the kids settled into bed for the night too. The four of us adults who were still awake enjoyed some great conversation and laughs that night...without any alcoholic beverages I might add! (although a strawberry margarita would've been nice)

The next morning, we took our time getting up and made breakfast burritos and hot cocoa...yummy! The older kids went exploring by the river, while the little ones found the dirtpile (of course!). Kevin's coworker who owned the property, Brian F., arrived to hang out. Rosalee and Brian's little boy really took a shine to him. As the day wore on, the sunshine was beaming down on us...making that river look very appealing.

So all the dads went wading with the kids. Eventually, they either fell in or got dragged into the water fully-clothed. Rosalee and I were quite snaphappy with our cameras. The guys rode the current down a ways before trying to claw their way back upstream, not an easy task. The kids took turns sitting with their respective daddies in the water and had so much fun. K struggled with her fear of stepping on a crawdad before finally relaxing long enough to enjoy herself. I took her hand and waded with her to help ease her fears.

After enjoying sandwiches and chips for lunch, the guys took the kids for a walk to put the crawdad trap in the river and do a little fishing. Rosalee and I stayed back for some quiet time. She put her baby down for a nap while the others were away. The dogs really had a good time chasing sticks into the river. Our dogs both braved the water for the first time.

By Saturday evening, the kids were getting worn out, so we got dinner going. This meal is perhaps the best part of the whole campout. Troy taught us how to make hobo stew, and now it is tradition that we make it every year. Hobo stew is so easy to make if you do a little prep ahead of time. You mix hamburger, sliced carrots, celery, and potatoes all together. Season it with plenty of garlic salt and ground black pepper. Feel free to add other vegies and spices as you please. Wrap it up in aluminum foil and put on the grill for about 30-45 minutes (or until ready). So good! More s'mores and even a ghost story courtesy of Brian F. rounded out the evening.

On Sunday morning, we kept breakfast simple with doughnuts. Everyone began to tear down the campsite and pack up the cars. Then the guys took a few of the kids to go get the crawdad trap and brought back quite a haul. DH boiled them in trailer and everyone nibbled them for an afternoon snack. The only disturbing part of this was when the kids created finger puppets out of the crawdad heads. Alrighty then. The kids really seemed to have a wonderful time overall and I was grateful to have such good friends. Camping can be a lot of work, but the memories are so worth it!

Acting goofy