Minaret Falls 2013

This year's annual trip to Minaret Falls Campground happened the week before the 4th of July. Again, it was just the four of us.  Every year we have several families tell us next year they want to go and then when the time comes they either don't have the availability or the idea of legit camping scares them.  Anyhow... it was just our little fam and it was another wonderful trip to my little personal slice of heaven.

 As soon as we picked a camp site the kids ran to the river. One of my favorite things about this campground is the river runs right through it and you can see and hear Minaret Falls.  Probably why they named this campground after the Falls.  

 We set up camp and went off to fish.

  Second day we started with a hike to Rainbow Falls.

 My little man and me in the same spot

 2006  &  2013

  I love love love watching my littles explore the same river, rocks and logs that I did at their age.  I wonder if my dad was a little worried I'd fall and get hurt as he watched me?  I sure do worry about them... but I take a deep breath and think back to me doing it and I let them do what kids want to do.

 

  Man they grow so fast! Everyone warns you but you don't understand until it happens to your own babies.

 Love this man.

  He has been taking pictures with this same tree since 2006.

  Day three we hiked to Minaret Falls. Loving how he is with his little sister. She wasn't so sure about this log bridge so he held her hand.

  And carried her across the next one that had no bridge.

  Minaret Falls is fun because we climb up onto the rocks and play in the little pools.

  The little pools are freezing.  Which is nice because it was in the 90s and nice for killing bacteria. But freezing to the point that you don't just want to jump on in.  It takes some getting used to.

  In case I am passing on an image of my kids being wonderful perfect little things - I'm throwing this one in for a good dose of normalcy.  Some kids make funny faces when they are sick of their mom taking pictures... mine start picking their nose!

 Back to the freezing water.

I double-dog-dared him to dunk his head.

  and he did it.

Then Avery had to show she could too!

  It is cold enough that they deserved a celebratory picture.

  Back at our campground we walked to a part of the river that has a deep emerald pool.  The boys are debating who would go first.  Actually Grant had already gone once but I missed it with the camera so they are starting over.  I have a personal problem... if my camera didn't capture it, it didn't happen.

  Poor Grant didn't think this one through very well and he belly flopped.  He didn't come up smiling.

 

  This is the area of the river that was right in front of our campsite.  It was perfect because it was shallow and slow moving and we could trust the kids to play down there.  They made a super cool rock river to float their boat down.  I loved seeing all the things they did together in nature... away from TV, video games and all their toys.

  Our campsite.

  Enjoying root beers at our dining table.

That wraps this year's trip up.  Who's coming with us next year!? =)