Camp Wild Tuesday

Spoiler Alert: Tuesday was another adventure packed day at Camp Wild! 

Katie set up a private tour at The Old Spanish Treaure Cave between Gravette and Sulpher Springs, and scored us a sweet discount since there were 23 kids between the Willardsons, Messicks, Shaws, and Gulbransens, plus two friends. 

Here's our group! (Baby Sloane was asleep in her stroller)

We split into two groups and while one toured the cave, the other sluiced for crystals. 

Reese was thrilled to have her friend Emma come with us. I'm so happy that my daughters have such sweet girlfriends. 

The cave was great! I thought I would feel claustrophobic, but it was like walking inside a house in some places. The ceiling was low in other spots, but not enough to freak me out. Soren, on the other hand, would only go to Reese for most of the tour. I ended up passing Sloane to Julie, who was on her way out with the other group, so I could be free to carry Soren. That was all he needed and was cheerful the rest of the tour.  Quincy did not like when the ground sloped, and parked herself between Jill and Katie for most of the walking, so they "could catch  me if I fall into that endless hole." 

Our guide pointed out fossils and told the story of the treasure hidden by Spanish conquistadors. There are many who truly believe there is still a treasure hidden somewhere in the cave, and they close it down a few weeks through out the year for professionals to repel down crevices and mine for clues. They recently unearthed some mine cart tracks in the cave floor that were probably used by George Dunbar (a previous owner) and have been covered for almost 100 years. 

The Spanish treasure cave is one of many karst caves in our area, formed by water and limestone. Stalactites and stalagmites are everywhere, some look like jellyfish, some were columns, and others formed a large spine that peaked in a boat shape. The kids favorite part was the "enchanted forest". 

After the cave, we stopped for treats from the Wooden Spoon in Gentry, then  had a picnic lunch at Gentry park. 

That night, Reese and Quincy dressed up for an Activity Days Tea Party and the boys and I read some new Star Wars books together. 

Camp Wild Monday

Every year, the last week of school, our kids come home crying one day because the local Christian summer camp, Camp War Eagle does a presentation at the school, showing pics of kids zip lining and rock wall climbing and kayaking and spending endless days of nonstop fun. This place is really amazing...and crasaaaazy expensive. Like $1000 per child for my kids to go. Since there's no WAY we are willing to spend a college tuition on summer camp, and we are absolutely not ready to send our young kids to an overnight camp anyway, we came up with a solution for the "we don't go to summer camp" blues: Friend Camp! This week is jam packed with adventures with friends, all day, every day! War Eagle, you are incredible, but you can take your overpriced tuition and stuff it on a zipline. 

Behold: Camp Wild 2015

♦️Monday alone was packed with a week's worth of fun! 

We made t shirts (so we're legit) thanks to Kasey for helping us! She took our idea and made it a reality by making these super cute iron decals for us. They turned out amazing. 

We started the day at the Shaws for:

Science experiments 

Water balloons and squirt guns

Kiddie pool and Slip n slide

The kids were EXHAUSTED when we got home from playing so hard. I sent them to their rooms to get changed while I got started on dinner. Within minutes, the house was quiet. Every one of them

Had tuckered out. Quincy was asleep with her arm in the air!

That night after FHE we all met at High Rise Trampoline Park

I was Fun Mom at high rise. I paid for it and was Old Limpy Mom the next day. 

Aaron was dodgeball King. Corbin loved it, too, and cried every time he was whistled "out". 

I played one disastrous round and retired myself from Dodgeball forever!  

Needless to say, everyone slept hard on Monday night. 

Father's Day 2015

Aaron had a joy filled Father's Day, and honestly, so did I. A miracle happened and the children were kind and reverent for the entire sacrament meeting in church yesterday and not one of them had to be taken out to the hall even once!  I jokingly queried Aaron about my suspicion that this miraculous anomaly had been brought to us by some kind of secret ward fast that occurred on behalf of the poor willardson children, who's mother was totally losing it last week. He assures me that my suggestion is ludacrist, but if you were present to compare the two weeks, you'll know there were angels among us yesterday, attending to the children and aiding their reverent behavior.  It was truly wonderful, and I don't take any credit, and therefore fear we will be unable to repeat the act next Sunday. But yesterday? It was a really really good one. 

We stared the celebrating on Saturday by making sugar cookies. I tried a glacé instead of royal icing, this time, and the results were runny disasters. It was like one of those memes that mocks pinterest perfection photos with the words "nailed it!" typed below. 

That's a cookie made my an adult, people. Not a kid. Hahaha oh well. They tasted really good and the kids enjoyed making them with me. 

We made neckties and mustaches I used regular old canned frosting for a dozen of them and took those to share with the primary class I subbed during Sunday school hour. They were amused. 

The actual cookies were my best sugar cookies, ever. Two days later they are still soft and delicious. I'll post the recipe in a later post. 

Aaron requested waffles for breakfast and we delivered, along with berries and fresh whipped cream. 

At church, they held a luncheon and served Dickies BBQ for all the men during 3rd hour! It smelled very manly in the cultural hall and the dads loved it. 

Aaron was followed around all day by a fanfare of his adoring children, who lovingly showered him with the traditional fuss of homemade cards, silly band and shrinkydink keychains and many rounds of singing our favorite Father's Day tune, "I'm So Glad When Daddy Comes Home"...which was sung my me a couple of times in there, too. ;)

I love Aaron so much. What a spectacular father. I appreciate him for his constant rededication to be a better man, when he is already so wonderful to begin with. He does not settle for mediocrity and often asks, "what can I do to help you?" He wins at parenting, but also for being a totally supportive spouse.  

We made him a cute candy tackle box with gummy worms, Swedish fish, sour worms, and other assorted candies. The children made cards that looked like fishing bobbers and wrote their sentiments on the backs. Corbin just wrote "Star Wars" and "I love Dad"  a bunch of times, which delighted Aaron all the same. 

He also got 2 new pairs of nice slacks for  work, and a boxed set of the Indiana Jones movies. We some delicious grilled chicken and a strawberry, avocado, and candied pecan spinach salad for dinner.  For dessert, I had ordered a batch of Gwen's famous caramel brownies.  Everything was so good, we are already looking forward to lunch leftovers today. 

Aaron, you bring so much happiness and laughter into our home. No always imagined I would be "the fun parent" and make my husband be the bad guy, but you do fun sooo much better than I do. Our children are very lucky to grow up in a home filled with love, the gospel, and daily laughter.  Happy Father's Day! 

If you wake up at 5am

You may get this at 3pm

Every Week

Sometimes (always) sacrament meeting looks like this. A for effort and trying to go, right? My only hope for not giving up is that they will eventually learn that church is important enough to me to keep trying. And maybe, it will someday become important to them, too. For now,  there are 5 of them, and 1 of me, and the car is the only place I can keep track of everyone who needs tracking. Not ideal, but it's all I've got. If you see a mom in her car during church, don't judge her. And if you can, offer her words of encouragement, a 5 minute break, or chocolate. 

Also, no my hair does not have pink tips...it's just my phone. Kinda cute though. 

Quincy's Blowing Springs Picnic

The end of year picnics at Blowing Springs is a fun tradition Cooper has. 

My children are wise to remember past years when it's been unbearably hot, and remind me that I "always" come to the picnic and bring them a frozen drink from Sonic. So, since it's tradition and all, I took a waffle berry brownie blast to Quincy at her 2nd grade Blowing Springs picnic. She took Soren around and showed him off to all her friends. 

Lara Scheele captured the rest of these beautiful photos and shared them with me. 

Quincy and Leah were born just hours apart and have been buddies since the day they were born. It's so fun watching them grow up! 

Quincy buzzed around with Soren between activities and groups of friends at the picnic, only checking in as she busily fluttered by, leaving me to visit with her teacher and other moms. She wanted me there, but as more of a spectator than a participant in her fun. As you wish, Quincy bee. 

I checked her out an hour early and we came home for a little one on one time while the littles napped. We ate lunch together, then I joined her upstairs to play barbies. She commented, "mom, this is fun...and it's kind of weird, too. I didn't know you can actually play barbies. You're a mom. You usually just do the hair for us or get them dressed or help us set up. I didn't know moms could actually play them too."

Well that stung a little!  What do you mean you didn't know I can play?! Quincy is our QuincyBEE because she has an honesty stinger, and that one got me, for sure.  I made a mental note to play more, then made up for it, and we played barbies together until the other kids were done with school.  Quincy was delighted.