first campout of the season

I worked hard all week alright, nearly 50 hours and I still was able to leave early on Friday.
Kenton had almost everything ready by the time I got home, I just had to finish a salad and get a few other food items packed. We pulled out and headed up the canyon. We wanted to get there early so we would have plenty of room to park. We were the first ones there and got the camper unhooked and leveled out and were heading out for a hike when we realized we were in the wrong camp ground, OH NO! After some giggling we hooked back up again and got in the right place. We pulled up where we wanted to and realized the camper was level right where we were so we didn't even unhook it from the truck. We switched the propane on and lit the fridge, just to see how it would do. We had charged it up at the house for two days before and got it nice and cold. We froze some water just to be safe and put it in there too. The water is still frozen today. Guess the fridge works better on the propane than dad thought, for one night at least.
Since we didn't unhook the camper we didn't go on the hike we had planned, and the time was getting late for it anyway, we just went for a little hike near camp. Our daughter caught sight of something and was so excited to show us.

We watched the moose for several minutes and she kept insisting there were two but we had seen it walk around and we only saw the one. When I got home I enlarged this picture and I think I finally see the second one though, I am still not 100% sure I really see it. After five or ten minutes Kenton and I finally saw it.

It is the second or third year in a row that we have seen moose at this campground but it is the first baby moose I think I have ever seen. We love the wildlife. Boo really wanted to see a bear but I am sure glad we didn't! We did see these and lots of chipmunks and ants and not one, but two, garden snakes (one of which I didn't see until it bumped my foot -shiver, shiver!). It made me even happier we were in a camper this year.

Once we had dinner we visited and relaxed. Boo started asking if she could go to bed yet. She was so excited to sleep in the camper. We were not allowed to have a fire and there were lots of little kids so everyone started going to bed about nine. We were some of the last to head to bed since we helped clean camp up for the night.

 beds are all put together and ready for us to sleep

 it was so warm we ended up on top of the sleeping bags, using only the blanket about half way through the night. The camper was much warmer than a tent though everyone commented how it was comfortable during the night.

The truck looks small next to the camper. 

Kenton fell asleep fast. Boo wriggled around for awhile but finally settled down. I laid there, and laid there, and laid there. I was tired but so wound up and stressed out (I had a rough week at work) and just couldn't relax. I did not sleep good at all. I had to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night and I tell you I LOVED not having to wander outside and hope I wouldn't encounter one of those snakes or worse. I didn't even wake anyone up. I didn't have to put my shoes on, or a jacket, and I had very clean hands when I was done. Nighttime potty convenience is my current favorite part of the camper. 

Kenton and Boo woke up at the butt crack of dawn but were nice and let me sleep another hour. We got up, had some breakfast, visited some more and then stood around watching everyone else pack up sleeping bags, clothing bags, toys, pillows, and tents, all while chasing kids. We simply moved the wheel blocks and cinder block step, packed up our chairs, and pulled away. It was the least stressful camp out I have ever been on and I loved it! 

We were a little concerned about coming down the canyon since we had not braked down a steep road without trailer brakes. We had nothing to worry about at all. Kenton used the engine to brake most of the time and there was not any problems. 

I have decided the only thing I don't like about having a camper is parking it at our house. It is a super tight, million point turn, kind of parking, and takes forever. It was about 20 minutes today, counting Kenton trimming the bushes down. There was yelling involved and lots of frustration but we finally got it. It will get better as we practice but it will always be tight, we couldn't do it with a bigger trailer. We really need to look into covering the ditch at the second gate because then we could pull in the right way and have plenty of room to maneuver. Hopefully the city will let us get a plate for it and that we can afford it by next year. Or better yet, the city finishes covering the stupid ditches in the first place like they were supposed to do two years ago. The ditch is covered up to our house but then they ran out of money and never finished the last two blocks.

Once we got parked I began unloading while Kenton unhooked the trailer. I brought the clothes and pillows in and Kenton went to the bathroom while I cleaned out the fridge. I was done in a matter of minutes. Kenton came out to help me finish and apologized that I had to do it all myself. I just laughed at him because it was so easy and fast. I will say it again....easiest camp trip ever! Well worth the inconvenience of parking the trailer.