Crater Lake 2009

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We had so much fun taking the kids to Crater Lake, Oregon and we have decided that we are going to make this a yearly trip. There is so much to do and it is very relaxing.

We got a late start yesterday. Jon did not get home until 4:15 and we got out the door at 4:30 om. I had everything all packed and ready to go and we were all very impatient to get there and were very glad when he got home. I had finished all laundry, cleaned the entire house from top to bottom, weeded, cleaned the fridge and mowed the lawn. I was so ambitious that I got up at 5:30 am so I got a LOT done. It was a nice feeling leaving knowing that when we came home the house would not be a huge mess.

The kids and Jon rode in the camper car seated and seat belted in (they had a blast watching 50 first dates). Sue rode in the back with CJ and I rode up front with dad to prevent getting car sick. I started new meds and they were NOT agreeing with me.

We made our first stop in La Pine to get diesel for my dads truck and did not stop until we reached Crater Lake. I started getting really worried because it started raining for an hour and I just knew we were going to get there and have to set up and sleep in the rain. My dad was laughing at us because we had a tent and he had his camper and he had insisted that we get anything but a tent. I stuck to my guns. I love to camp and sleep in a tent, even if it rains.😊

When we got to the turn off there was a deer standing in the middle of the road and I managed to get a photo- not a good one, it was from a distance. The rain subsided when we reached the crater. It was like someone turned off the water faucet. I was out of the car as soon as my dad stopped it and went with Sue to get the first view. Jon and the kids were not far behind me. It was beautiful but not as beautiful as it was last year and a big part of it was the rain. The photos were not all that great from the first night. I mean they were good but the rain caused a haze. My dad and Sue were shocked at how blue it was. The girls were so happy that they were able see the water through the railing.

We headed up to the campground and it was a 15 mile drive up a very steep road. I felt sick because the edge of the road was not even five inches away. Jon was laughing at me.I had forgotten how steep it was. We stopped at the store to pay for our camping sites and we had to buy some wood and extras. We bought post cards for a keepsake which was a waste of time because our photos turned out good enough to make out own!

We got a really good campsite and we worked for about an hour to get everything all set up. My dad cooked us dinner on his stove and it was yummy. The kids were starving. Hannah said that riding in the car for a long time is a difficult job and it made her hungry. I agreed. CJ did wonderful, he is such a good traveler. We did not hear a peep out of him that was a bit fussy. He was too busy grinning at grandma and eating his feet. He was very wide eyed looking all around, I put him in his bumbo and put him on the ground. He loved it.

I think the most fun part was the camp fire. Jon got it going with the wood we bought from the store and I pulled out the roasting sticks we bought and got the four older kids set up with hot dogs. They had a blast. The older three were pros but this was Nathan's first time roasting and he spent most of the time hitting the grate of the fire pit with the hot dog. He lost two hot dogs in the fire total. He thought it was great fun. Next came the marshmallows and Erin and I had a blast eating ours after burning them to a crisp. Jon thought we were nuts but that is how Erin and I like them. We made smores of course and it was grandma Sue's first time eating a smore ever so I had to take pictures of her making hers and trying it out. It was fun. We added some flair and made them with Mr. Good Bars. Nathan ate at least seven pieces of chocolate and kept asking for more, I said not and Jon said yes so I gave in. It was a bad idea, Nathan was so hyper running in and out of the tent and teasing his sisters and he was so crazy that he stayed up until Jon went to bed at midnight.

Jon and I stayed up long after the parents went to bed, talking and looking at the fire. I was exhausted. My new meds were not agreeing with me and I just stayed quiet. Nathan was running around like a crazy person and I seriously thought all the camp could hear him going nuts. No one said anything. Jon kept saying he was going to sell him to the gypsies. I was so tired and was having issues keeping a clear sentence so I went to bed and left Jon to deal with the fire. I borrowed my hubby's warm sweats and wool socks to sleep in (I figured since I beat him to bed I got first dibs) I bundled up CJ and snuggled him next to me and Nathan ended up on the other side and was asleep in seconds. I could not sleep without my husband so I tossed and turned until Jon came in at midnight and it was freezing. I about jumped ten feet when he crawled in beside me, he was freezing and of course he had to use me to cuddle up to (no major complaints).

CJ did amazing for sleeping in a strange place. He slept all the way until five am and Nathan started crying and it woke him up. Nathan was talking in his sleep, he was saying, "oh where is my mommy, daddy?" He kept asking for me and we were watching him and he was sound asleep babbling away. Poor little guy, he was out of sorts I think being in a strange area.

I was up at seven am and went see how my parents were doing and my dad was cooking breakfast...he was all happy and singing, at SEVEN am. Sue was reading her bible and starting her morning. Dad made us coffee and I took it out to my sleeping husband and made him wake up. I took pictures of everyone and he was not happy about it.😊

I roused the sleepy head out of bed (our three girls) and got them to my parents' camper for breakfast. My dad is an awesome cook. He made bacon, sausage and pancakes. The kids LOVE pancakes. On all my days off they always insist that I make them. We did not get everything all packed up and ready to go until 9:30 am. I felt like it took forever to get going and I was getting REALLY annoyed. I told them that could talk all the way home and we were here to check out the lake!😊 I was a little annoyed because I took all the girls to the bathroom along with Nathan and there was a lady in there that said I was crazy for having all those kids and I must have my hands full. I told her I had one more at home and I was NOT crazy.

It was amazing and it was just as blue as last year. Jon swears it was more blue. It was amazing and I am glad we went. The kids were fascinated and we had a difficult time keeping them climbing on the rocks. The girls said that he blue matched their eyes. I think my favorite spot is the first one at which we stopped, "phantom ship" I love it, it is calm and serene. We stopped many times and one of our favorite stops was the one with the chipmunk. There was this friendly little guy who came right up to where Nathan was sitting and it licked his hand. I happened to grab a photo at the exact moment. It was cute. I think it liked being fed by the tourists. My dad fed it some dry bread and a lady told us that there is a fine for feeding the animals. We did not see any posted signs so my dad fed them anyways. I have it on video. The girls had fun looking at the rocks and the water and they loved the wildflowers. I had to explain to them that those were illegal to pick and take home. They are always making something with flowers.

On one of the last stops we went to Jon hiked down the bank to photograph some butterflies. I started to follow him and my flip flop slipped and I almost tumbled down the side of the bank so I decided that was as far as I was going to go. So instead I just stood there and waited for Jon to hike back up and grab me so I could walk back up with him.

Jon wanted a photos of him standing in the middle of a snow bank in July and I also offered to take photos for couple who had a camera and that were traveling alone with no one to take their photo at the lake. Dad and I did that for three different couples and at least two of them are going to use the photos as Christmas cards.

We took a ton of photos and they all turned out really well. The kids all fell asleep on the way home and I spent time talking to my parents. It was a fun trip and we were all glad that we went.

We plan on going again next year and next time we will do the boat rides and hike one or two of the trails. It was a fun family trip and CJ's first trip outdoors was a huge success!

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