From August 4-8 we were away camping up near Clearwater/Wells Gray Provincial Park!
Originally we were supposed to be doing a road trip to Winnipeg for a family reunion, but that has been postponed. We still wanted to do something with the family, and Gramma and Grandpa invited us to join their road trip/camping trip through the Rockies to Edmonton to watch the dog agility nationals. It worked for us to join the first 4 nights and stay near Wells Gray. I was Nervous about the drive after our cabin trip and Eva's general fussiness in the car. It was set to be a 5 hour drive, and with one decently long stop in Merritt, we made it there in about 6 hours! We had some fussies, she slept for about 25 minutes, but nothing traumatic. Whew!
We beat Gramma, Grandpa, Rachel and Rebecca to the campsite, but they had our tent and bug spray and the trailer. Dave ran around with the kids and we just hung out until they got there! I made the mistake of trying out the pit toilet since Emilia said she had to go to the bathroom. It was so bad. There were SWARMS of black flies in it, and then when I opened it they all came swarming out, and continued to do so while Emilia was peeing. I'll hold my pee and wait for the luxury of the trailer thank you very much! :)
They arrived and we set up our ginormous tent for Dave, Eva and myself. We borrowed some cots from Kerriann so we wouldn't have to sleep on an air mattress that would almost certainly have a hole in it. We set up the playpen way on the other side and covered it with our snooze shade which blocks out most of the light, but is still breathable! Once Eva got used to it, it was a life saver for sure! No way she would have been able to nap and/or go to bed on time without it.
Dom, Emilia and Rebecca played like crazy most of the time. Eva... was a toddler haha. All the ups and downs that come with that while camping! She's hilarious though so that helps :). We did a few "hikes" (short walks) to check out some waterfalls in Wells Gray Park! Eva came along for the first one, and the next day Gramma stayed back with her so that we could spend some quality time with the big kids. I really enjoyed that day in the mountains with the views, the exercise, the memories, etc. It made me want to do more! Another layer of jealousy for Dave's trip to Glacier in Montana coming up this September lol.
The campground had a really cool playground with two 2-level log houses that the kids played "neighbours" and "drive-thru" and "Lion King" (where Dave held on to the top window like Mufasa. A little dark haha! They could have spent the whole day there I think. I love the open-ended play opportunities!
The bugs weren't as bad as I was expecting after hearing from so many people that they were horrible this year. We all got some bites, but the Thermacel and bug spray kept us sane!
Dom & Emilia shared the top bunk in the trailer, Rebecca slept with Rachel and Kyle in the tent, and then Eva slept with us in our tent. Dom & Emilia slept well once they finally got to sleep. It got easier each night. The first night is just much too exciting to sleep! Eva slept worse than I expected. The first night was okay. She took a reallllly long time to fall asleep and needed lots of help because she was nervous about that sleepshade thing over her playpen. Fair enough! The second night was okay, except she was up at 5. It was like 9 degrees that night and we were all freeeezing despite our best efforts to bundle up. I tried to bring her into our bed to keep warm and snuggle for a couple hours, but she decided it was morning and most definitely was playtime. Too early for me, but at least she slept and was happy! The third night was the worst. She was up most of the night. No idea why. We tried everything. We went to bed at 1030 (very quietly) and she was up from 1030-230 and then at 5 for the day. She cried on and off during that sleep stretch, and there were car alarms going off all over around 4 too. From 12-2 she was BONKERS! I have never seen her so deliriously overtired. She was running around the tent growling and whining and laughing hysterically. I'm not exaggerating. She was crazy. Finally at around 630 Dave took her out for a walk so that I could get some rest. I got about 45 minutes of sleep and then boom. Time to do the daytime thing! The last night she slept like an angel and Dave and I both got 8 hours of sleep. Ahhhhhh!!! Felt so good! Naps were great! 2-3 hours each day :)
One evening we had a "campfire" with the kids on the propane firepit due to the fire ban. We roasted some jiffy pop with the big kids which they thought was pretty special!
The next day was hot. Like 32 degrees. This was the day of our non-sleep, so we were all a little tired, hot, cranky, etc. Gramma and Grandpa scoped out the area and found a beach for us to go to! It was busy, but the water was perfection and it was exactly what we needed! All the kids had a blast swimming and Eva kept trying to dunk herself. Grandpa took Dom & Emilia out in shifts which they loved and was much appreciated!
Full honesty, I'm not a camper. I am a glamper at best, so this was a bit rustic for me. It was fun and there were many awesome memories made! I think next time I do this I will wait until I don't have a toddler anymore and/or be much closer to home. Toddlers are a lot of work at the best of times, so it was nonstop and we came home exhauuuuuusted. It actually ended up being a tad more rustic than we all expected! I knew there were no showers or flush toilets, but then the trailer water was on the fritz so we couldn't shower in there. To add to it, the taps at the campsite you'd normally use to fill your water bottles and wash dishes, etc. had a boil water advisory. We could only use it for things like washing feet, etc. Didn't want that water getting into the kids systems just in case! This added another level of complication, but with the help of Gramma and Grandpa and many trips to town for water we made it work!
If we end up being a family that does do lots of camping I will 100% be looking into buying or renting/borrowing a tent trailer or something. The trailer Gramma and Grandpa have is awesome. They're still working out some kinks as it's new to them, but I thought it was great haha. I could camp like that!
We ate really well and had some really delicious dinners! Sometimes we pushed it a bit too long and had 4 hangry kids on our hands, but that's what happens. Camping life! Lots of snacks! I'm very grateful that both Dave and I felt 100% healthy the whole time. I didn't even get a headache which is probably a miracle. The kids too, were all healthy as far as we know!
Our drive home was not a good time haha. It's supposed to be a 5 hour drive, but it took us over 7 hours! We did a quick food and play stop in Merritt, but hit lots of traffic on the Coq and in Abbotsford-Langley. The kids all took turns screaming and at one point actually created a symphony of epic screaming. That lasted from about Whatcom to between Mt. Lehman and 264th (in traffic). Dom continued til about 216 or so. I totally get it. We pushed them way too hard trying to get home. Sorry guys! I sent an SOS text to Mom, so her and Dad came over and brought us dinner and helped entertain the kids so we could unload and get them all bathed before bed. So grateful for that help haha! We made it! It was a long day, but we made it.
This trip in general was way out of my comfort zone, but I'm glad we did it! I built some confidence, we learned a lot, and made some core memories for sure!
There were many more pictures taken, but here are the ones I have received/taken! Dave and Grandpa had their big cameras too so I'm sure there are some beauties on there.
Excited to start his Road Trip Bingo! I put a basket between Dom & Emilia in the back seat filled with activities, snacks, water, headphones, etc. It actually was quite successful in keeping them busy on the way up there!
We met up with Gramma, Grandpa, Rachel & Rebecca in Merritt for lunch and park time at Rotary Park. We spent probably close to an hour there and it was a lovely little break in our drive. I'm glad I learned from our last trip and had a bag of extra sets of clothes for everyone in the car. It was pretty chilly and there was a water park, so extra clothes were definitely needed!
Dave racing the kids to a tree
Clearly a Dave photo. Our van has never looked so artsy and outdoorsy haha
Chatting like a bunch of old friends
One side of our tent. Eva's playpen, some suitcases, etc. (I also brought a laundry hamper which I highly recommend!)
Our side of the tent! Notice the towel on the floor on the left? Dave ridiculed me for bringing a "shoe towel", but I have no regrets. Kept a lot of the dirt out of our tent! We were also expert tent-closers. We got next to no bugs in our tent. The ones we did find (including one really gross spider ON THE BED!) were brought in on a bag or something from outside.
Our campsite was easy to spot with all the blue. It was also very private and we couldn't see our neighbours at all unless you looked hard.
Kids checking out the trailer
My mosquito prevention get-up
Meanwhile... Eva's face as Dave is trying to convince her it's okay to sleep in this snooze shade playpen.
"Good morning Mom & Dad!"
Our first walk to Spahats Falls. It was a short walk (a few hundred meters probably) and all the kids loved climbing on the rocks and roots!
My 3 Musketeers <3
Spahats Falls. 73m high, 9m wide
Some sort of nut/berry that Dom thought was a tiny apple :)
Lots of awesome climbing rocks and perfectly spaced rocks for "floor is lava"
King of the Castle!
Of course Dom brought his "teams" with him. Didn't go a day without spending some time playing teams haha
So so glad we borrowed this high chair from Jeff & Marta! So easy to clean, light, easy to transport, and easy to move around the campsite to get a shady spot.
Also what is this face?
Aunty Rachel & Rebecca brought some dollar store animals the kids got to glue together. Well the adults helped quite a bit, but they were proud of them in the end and they're very cute!
Learning how to take pictures on my new phone :)
By day 2 there it had been nearly 72 hours without a shower for me and I HAD to wash my hair. Without many other options, I got a bucket and did my best haha. The bucket was a bit small so it was pretty comical with me trying to cram my head in there to get my large amounts of hair wet haha. But it worked! No regrets!
Good night Gramma!
Eva adorably walking with Aunty Rachel & Uncle Kyle
The fire lapping at Dom's ankles. The first night the fire was a bit possessed so I wouldn't be surprised if it really was trying to get at him haha.
I swear Emilia was wearing this jacket to preschool just last year! :( Slow down, Eva!
Blowing kisses! And a photobombing Rebecca!
Someone had a bright red popsicle! Ended up allll over her shorts, but I am perplexed how it is not on her shirt?! I was napping so I missed this sorcery
Happy girl squinting her way through the bubbles. She asked for so many bubbles to be blown I got light headed!
While Gramma kept her occupied <3 Feeding her Baby!
Uncle Kyle. Child whisperer
Check out this play house! So fun! It had a slide down the other side, and a ladder to get from the "crawlspace" to the main floor.
It was a fun and interesting dynamic with these three. They mostly played fun wild games all together. Dom & Rebecca paired off sometimes, but while Dom had his quiet time every day, Rebecca and Emilia paired off and had some girl time. They had very "important" conversations (or they felt that way anyway haha) and played different kinds of games together. Typically Emilia follows Dom around, so it was nice to see her playing with someone else without him. It was really good for her.
Another interesting dynamic was that Dom & Rebecca are both dominant-type players. I don't think Dom's used to that, so I enjoyed watching them sort out their conflicts together.
Always trying to keep up!
Hours of play in this tunnel slide
This weirdo went down the slide slower than a snail and held this position and face the entire time.
Dom watching Grandpa and Aunty Rachel play some crib. Jealous of his posture haha
Girl time doing some colouring. Oh also we had our Costco shade tent set up, and the kids created some sort of "Drive-thru" game there. Rebecca would set up the white table with all sorts of "food" and "merch", and then Dom would pull Emilia in the wagon up to the window and place an order. They spent hours doing this and would encourage the adults to play too. My favourite was when Grandpa went up to Rebecca to place an order. It went something like this...
R: What would you like?
G: How about some french fries?
R: Well we don't have those. We just have curly noodles.
G: Okay. I guess I'll have those?
R: How hungry are you?
G: Not very hungry.
R: Great. I'll give you the big order.
What a business woman! Haha
Playing some 25 words or less. We were a confident bunch, usually picking 9-11 words. Rarely succeeding though haha. Many laughs were had! Our last night we had a couple extra drinks and Grandpa and I failed miserably at 25 words or less and we all laughed til we cried.
Hi! It's 5am!
He's such an old soul. I love it. He had quiet time up in their bunk bed every day, and by day 2 or 3 Emilia was also asking for quiet time. Their versions of quiet time are very different. You hardly know Dom is there and he is actually quiet. Emilia pokes her head out the window every chance she gets and yells, "Hellooooo! Just so you know I'm having QUIET TIME! I just love quiet time! I'm reading a book about Elsa! Now I'm reading Lion King! Now I'm reading Tangled! Hellooooo!" Haha I guess it's more "alone" time than quiet time. It was nice to see though, since she very rarely likes to be on her own.
Constantly up on the picnic bench/table. Surprisingly she didn't have any bad falls or grab anything that hurt her! It was impossible to keep her down, so I'm grateful for that.
On our way out to Dawson Falls on our third day. Someone couldn't make it for the 40 minute drive haha. Still passed out in the parking lot. She's our best/only car sleeper.
This was our longest walk. Probably like half a km each way? 1km tops. Very doable for the kidlets!
She has always loved Mommy more than anything in the world. Also she feels easier to carry than Eva does haha.
Crazy rushing waterfall right in front of them, but they're more interested in the puddle haha
Dawson Falls. 18m high and 107m wide!
He gained a lot of confidence climbing and with his general body awareness this weekend. Lots of running along fallen trees and climbing up rocks!
This is called Helmcken Falls. Pictures definitely do not do it justice. It is 141m high and 23m wide. It is just POURING off this plateau and the cavern it's created is amazing. It's so lush around the bottom it looks like a jungle. It kept making me think of Tarzan or something haha. Absolutely stunning
A sign explaining how Helmcken Falls came to be, and also happens to compare all 3 waterfalls we saw by size. So that's handy!
Dom didn't want to cooperate with the selfie
We did our best haha!
Eva playing bartender
Finally enjoying their campfire Dom had been asking for for weeks!
Proudly roasting our Jiffy Pop
Emilia got ahold of my camera and started taking better framed/straighter pictures than I have been all weekend. She's a natural haha.
Photo cred Emilia
Photo cred Emilia
Our last full day! A trip to the park in the morning before the day got too hot
Dutch Lake when it did get too hot!
Constantly trying to dunk her face to blow bubbles
Dom grabbed his towel and curled up with Grandpa. Super cute
This one just prowled the bags for beach carrots (Cheetos)
I brought Ring Pops for the big 3
Eva trying so hard to be one of the big kids
I told Scott & Ash about our harrowing drive home and they surprised us with a sympathy booze delivery from Clayton Liquor store haha!
Also a big thank you to Kirsten, Jesse and Wren for taking Sherlock for us while we were away! He came back fluffier and cleaner than we left him so that's a bonus haha! (Despite the fact that we bathed him the day before we left. He clearly needed a double bath!)
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