The Great Outdoors – Overnight Adventure
After enjoying our previous weekend’s hike and picnic at Mount Charleston, we decided that it was time to take our outdoor adventures to the next level: CAMPING! Using the same “build-up” approach we had taken with the hiking and picnicing, we decided that our first night’s stay in a tent should be relatively close to home and plan not to exceed more than 24 hours of camping. We are very fortunate to have such beautiful camping (and a radically different climate) only an hour drive from Las Vegas. We had been “planning” this adventure for a couple of weeks. Of course, we did not make a reserveation for a camp site on Labor Day Weekend. This proved to be both a curse and a blessing. We embarked for Mount Charleston early Friday morning hoping to arrive before everyone else from Las Vegas and therefore claim one of the many “space-available” campgrounds. Unfortunately, every other family in Las Vegas had the same idea. We toured all the available sites (in the hundreds) looking for a spot to set up camp. Only after resigning ourselves to a day trip, did we find a spot to pitch our tent. It turns out, that the “Old Saw Mill” picnic area is also a tent-only campground. Fantastic! We found a place to camp after only and hour of driving around the forest “slightly disappointed” that the entire park was full.
After we found the perfect spot to camp, we setup the tent (Ava was very helpful), ate lunch, and explored the forest. (And, yes, Ava put the pink hat on her head herself, and she did not take it off for the rest of the trip.)
The temperature dropped down into the 40s overnight which gave us a bit of a chill in our tent. Fortunately, the fire was warm and the coffee was hot. Camping turned out to be great fun for Ava. She seemed to really enjoy exploring nature and running around “off the leash.” The only toy we brought along was a small plastic bucket and shovel. She spent the better part of the day putting rocks and dirt in the bucket and then dumping them out.
Hiking at Mt Charleston
In search of cooler weather, we’ve been venturing into local higher elevations. Mt Charleston is about an hour away from our front door and offers just the escape we need.
Ava loves getting out into nature (read: mucking in the dirt) and it’s such a welcome break from the heat that we find ourselves relaxed and refreshed when we descend again into the valley. Looking forward to using the mountain again in the winter for sledding and other snow sports!
Ava’s Big Girl Room – Step 4
Growth Chart, book sling, and corner for vanity table
Kelli’s artwork will hang over her bed
Window tie-backs with ladybug print, hairbows will hang over changing table/dresser
Cutie hairbow holder from Carrie
Coat & hat rack
All that’s left to do now is for Matt to build her bed and move it into the room. Can’t wait to get her all moved in!
Blogging Frenzy
We’re doing lots of updating here in blogland today. Ava was feeling a little left out. Creative Daddy set up a creative station for Ava to get some work done.
Drawing upon inspiration from being out after dark yesterday, she drew multitudes of crickets on her Magnadoodle.
Yay for getting some work done even with a toddler in the room!
Meet Thomas
Our dear friends, the Hoffmans, welcomed a new baby boy into their family at the end of August. (Can’t believe he’s a month old already!) We are so lucky to be able to get to know Thomas at this early age and, at a recent dinner gathering, Ava got to hold him for the first time.
Ava’s enthralled with this little guy. Her face lights up just looking at him. Of course, Grace has to supervise to be sure Ava’s being nice to her much-loved baby brother.
It’s hard to believe that Grace looked at Ava in much the same way as Ava does Thomas at just a few months younger than Ava is now. Oh my, how time flies.
Sarah & Grace on coming home day with Ava, 24 November 2007
So happy to have these people in our lives!
