Salutations!
This is my camping recap that I know you are all dying to read.
Special “thank-you-shout-out” to my super cool bro-in-law, Jason, for sending me the picture necessary to complete this post.
100 (meaningless) points to anyone who can guess which picture Jason sent me.
Hint: I find it to be the funniest.
Are you ready?
Hold on to your pants, folks. We’ve got a lot of ground to cover.
***
We arrived Friday night and set up camp. Lumberjill hates setting up camp. Lumberjill talked Lumberjack out of setting up his giant parachute.
Remember the parachute?
Lumberjack was sad. But Lumberjill found it quite unnecessary seeing as there would absolutely be no rain and our campsite had several trees that provided ample shade.
We had a delightful dinner prepared by yours truly. I made Chicken Taco Salad and Cornbread.
Holla!
We then sat around the campfire talking about jolly good times and the days of yore until MIDNIGHT and then we went to bed.
I would like to inform you that my boys alternatively woke up at 1:30am, 3am, 4:15am, 6am, 6:02am, 6:05am, and 6:15, for no other reason than to make you feel badly for me.
***
Day 2
Huckleberry Picking.
(groan)
I. Hate. Huckle. Berry. Picking.
Why?
Because you have to drive up windy, mountain roads to try to find the stupid berries, teeter on the side of a mountain while bushes scratch at your delicate legs, fear for your childrens’ lives as they keep falling down the side of the mountain, and fear that a bear might get perturbed that you are taking their berries and come eat you.
You pick berries for 5 hours and you come home with a harvest of 1 cup.
You know what you do with 1 cup of berries?
You put it in the freezer and then you have to go back for more joyous picking so you can attempt to get a gallon. Then you roll your eyes at your husband all year long as he can never decide which food items are “huckleberry” worthy, so they sit in your freezer getting freezer-burned because everyone is too afraid to consume them.
That is why I hate huckleberry picking.
Plus its boring.
Nevertheless, I have married into the strangest family known to man and they live for this sort of thing. We piled up into our “rigs” and head up the mountains in search of those tiny berries that bring me so much grief.
My in-laws are quite strategic about this process.
David (LJ) and Alex.
Looking a little “matchy-matchy” there, aren’t you boys?
You may ask, “Taylor. What is your husband doing?”
More on that ridiculousness later.
David: Hey, Alex! Did you bring your gray Carhartts?
Alex: Of course I did, Bro!
David: Did you bring your white t-shirt?
Alex: You know it!
David: Let’s wear them for huckleberry picking!
Alex: Sounds good, big bro!
David: Did you know that I have the most wonderful wife in the world?
Alex: Yes. You are truly a lucky guy.
My Ma-in-Law and Daisy Mae, searching for berries.
There’s my Lumberjack in all his Tom Foolery again.
He’s trying to relay to us in his “secret-code” that he sees deer tracks.
Daisy Mae showing off the bounty.
Disappointing, is it not?
After about an hour of searching, my in-laws are feeling discouraged and dismayed.
The Tribal Council meets to determine our next strategic step.
Notice how I am not a part of this Tribal Council.
This is because:
A) I am not blood.
B) I could care less.
C) I loathe huckleberry picking.
D) I am too lazy to get out of the car.
Do you see that girl in the black?
She’s an imposter.
That is Alex’s girlfriend, Holly.
She is not blood.
Look at her trying to show me up by feigning to care about those trivial berries.
Boo, Holly.
Boo.
But, really. I heart Holly.
Sadly (not), we were unable to locate an ample huckleberry harvest, so we went back to camp.
GoshDarnIt.
***
And now, a few, random pictures.
Sweet baby and her daddy.
Do you see that look?
I fear I see that look often.
Do you see that boy?
The one laying flat in the dirt?
Whose boy is that?
Certainly not mine.
Ok.
He is mine.
I am just going to try to con his father into cleaning him up.
Now, Jason has just recently moved to far, far, away.
My girls did not take this news well.
Me: Jason is moving.
Sweet Pea: What? Why?
Me: So he can live in the same state as Amy.
Sweet Pea: Doesn’t Jason know that family is much more important than a girlfriend?
Luckily for my girls, we will still see Jason, along with Amy, quite often.
Hooray for Uncles!
Hooray for Uncles who humor little girls like Daisy Mae and listen to them prattle on and on about who knows what.
Can we not all agree that Daisy Mae’s dimples are uber precious?
And hooray for the girlfriends of uncles who agree to be penpals with little girls who will plan on writing letters daily.
Have fun, Amy!
***
Next, we floated the river.
This goes on for hours and I can’t bring a camera.
So.
Hmmmm . . .
Well, Jason jumped off a bridge and cut his foot. Then, he ripped the toenail off of his other foot. We suspect he did all of this so he could get doctored up by Nurse Amy.
So, that’s about all that happened on the river float.
When we were done floating, Alex and David decided that they just had to have an ice cream cone at a convenience store nearby. David walked in and was immediately kicked out because he was not wearing a shirt.
Apparently the convenience store clerk is not interested in attending the “gun show.”
Did this deter those boys from getting their ice cream?
No.
No, it did not.
Alex stole a puffy vest from Daisy Mae . . .
Apparently the convenience store clerk found that ensemble acceptable.
***
This post is long.
My apologies.
Are you still here? Hello? Hello?
Ok. So, then we celebrated Jason’s birthday:
Happy Birthday, Jason!
Please, Mom.
Enough with the pictures.
***
Before I sign off, I wanted to share with you a campfire discussion between my father-in-law and I.
Father-in-Law (FIL): Taylor. Do you still write that “Wife of a Lumberjack” Facebook Internet Story Thing?
He is referring to my blog. Of which he does not read. Because he knoweth not where to find it in the tricky web world.
Me: Yes.
FIL: Remember that contest it was in a while back?
Me: Yes.
FIL: How many votes did your blog receive?
Me: I’m not sure.
FIL: Well, I told our friends you won. I guessed you received about a hundred thousand votes.
Me: Oh, no.
FIL: Actually, I believe I said, “Hundreds of Thousands of Votes”
Me: Definitely not.
FIL: Really? That’s surprising.
Me: Yeah. My blog doesn’t get that many hits. Ever.
FIL: Hmm . . . Are you sure? I thought it was bigger than that.
*awkward silence*
Me: Nope.
FIL: Hmmm.
***
Darn this blog.
Darn its’ embarassment.
Darn it all.
Happy Thursday!
Ahahaha. I love that vest pic.
It’s always amazing that every women in the world doesn’t want to see the “gun show” right?
Have a good day, Taylor.
Marla @ http://www.asthefarmturns.wordpress.com
Aww – you didn’t say which picture you were waiting for! So, my guess is: The one of Alex in the puffy vest and the ice cream cone!
Love your posts about camping! I haven’t gotten to go yet this year and yes, I enjoy camping! Not the same here in the desert, though!
I, too, am guessing that Jason supplied the puffy vest picture.
And yes, I believe we can all be in firm agreement that the dimples are quite precious indeed.
Hope the vest picture makes more appearances! I agree about the huckleberry picking and bears – anything that includes bears will not include me.
Love the way your whole family likes to be together so often – your children are getting a ton of great memories!
The vest pic cracked me up. And I think you married into another branch of the family I married into. Only we went blueberry picking instead of huckleberry picking. I was not good at it. It was hot. I was bored. I apparently also didn’t respect the blueberry preparation and was banished in shame. I also have a sister-in-law who shows me up by pretending to be interested in all this foolishness. See? Same family tree. Different branch.
With a berry patch growing underneath it.
I love huckleberries, they are my favorite; however, I have a new found respect for picking them. Never knew they were so difficult to find. Welcome back from your camping trip!
The puffy vest photo is hilarious! Your in laws must keep you laughing constantly. 🙂 In a nice way of course.
I love the puffy vest photo! I actually found myself laughing out loud.
Also you should attempt to take it as a compliment that your FIL thinks so highly of your blog – or wants his friends to think so highly of your blog (or something like that).
Look at all the berry picking as excercise time:) Not a way I would want to spend an afternoon (sorry).
LOVE the vest photo. I think the clerk was too shocked and too busy laughing to not give him his ice cream. Besides, he may have also been frightened of how he would look the next time if he sent him out again.
This is so so so so funny.
I think your husband needs to start a support group for husbands who’s wives blog about them and post embarrassing pictures. My husband needs something like that to get him through.
I think your blog is great! It’s impressing your inlaws, which is more than I can say for my blog. It just impresses me. Or not.
I like ice cream.
My little boy has the same pajamas that Little Dude is wearing in that last picture! I love that it says “Big Guy” on them! Ok…just thought was funny!
And no…huckleberry picking does not sound fun at all! I don’t blame you for not wanting to get out of the car!
Of course the vest pic is funny, and it is my choice as Jason’s pic because this is the type of thing one brother does to another brother…HOWEVER….the funniest thing about the pic is the look on Holly’s face in the background…you can almost hear her thinking, “am I REALLY sure this is what I want in my life, I mean, sure, I can fake liking huckleberry picking with the best of them, but this, THIS, might just be a glimpse into my future!”
(AAAAANNDDD going along with my music theme this week, this pic would (of course) be…Dude Looks Like A Lady – Aerosmith.)
Vest. Pic. Made. Me. Snort!
LOL! Funny how the puffy vest is acceptable when no shirt isn’t… that’s hilarious.
Love all the pictures!
I don’t even know what a huckleberry is, but I’ve quite enjoyed reading about the huckleberry escapades. That vest picture is priceless.
Hello, back! Yes, I am still here. I read the post to the end and it was all good. I like your camping recaps!
I double love huckleberries. I have some in my freezer right now that probably have freezer burn because, like LJ, I have to deem something worthy of the berries. It is because it is so darn torturous and time consuming that whatever you do with them better be wicked tasty.
Although this post took most of my afternoon to read (actually working some at work), it has been one of my most favorite posts of all! Quite funny… especially the LJ’s secret code. Daisey Mae’s dimples are to die for— so precious!!
Fun Memories! Loved the pic of your little boy ~ they sure can get messy can’t they! & it’s always mama to come to their clean-em-up rescue 🙂
Funny last conversation between your father-in-law and you… you’re right. Awkward!
Happy Day, The Lady of the House
Confession: I’ve never seen or eaten a huckleberry.
Whew! I feel better getting that off of my chest!
Speaking of chest: Funny vest. Too. Too. Funny.
Hundreds of THOUSANDS of hits? *chuckle*
I despise berry picking with my whole being. That’s what the farmers market is for. I know it’s unpatriotic and whatnot, but I just don’t care. I hate it.
The vest is AWESOME! That picture is perfect. PERFECT!
Oh, for hundreds of thousands of hits. Actually, that would be very intimidating to write for, would it not?! Ok, that makes me feel better. 🙂
I loathe huckleberry picking too. I went one time and promptly decided that it was not worth it.
Love the new pic of Jason! I mean really, how could the convenience clerk find that to be appropriate but shirtless is not!? That’s great 🙂
Taylor,
I feel as if I should comment every once and a while, although I read your blog everyday it brings a smile to my face and makes me laugh. Like today for example, I was in a conference for work and it was getting BORING. Don’t you want to learn about creating quality assessment with its 6 point process that you must go through for EVERY LESSON you create for the entire school year (if you didn’t get it so far I am a teacher) during your summer vacation.?
I.think.not.
So anyways, I am being a very bad student and using my portable digital gadget thingy to read your blog. I am drinking my water and trying to act interested and I come across the picture of Alex in the vest. I obviously do not leave home often because I spit out my water and laughed right in the middle of discussing which objectives my academic target was meeting. Lets just say my instructor was not thrilled. Oh well…
By the way, I want to win 100 meaningless points – I think Jason sent you the picture of Alex in the vest.
Also, even though you do not consistantly (or ever) get 100 thousand hits, I like you and I come back every day. Hopefully this comment will make your heart happy. 🙂 Keep up the great work Lumberjill!
I know what state you are from or at least live nearby. Email me and see if I’m right! Oooooh! I will have to stop mocking my mom for loving that state ridiculously too much and for loving huckleberries and bringing us huckleberry jam and syrup and candy etc….
Love this post!! It’s a classic “lumberjack’s wife”! I needed it this evening, made me laugh and share parts with the hubby – who also appreciated it. Now I am not sure if I am mad at you or not for making me so homesick…
Too funny! Your family always makes me laugh out loud!!
Oh I just love it.
All of it.
I don’t get the huckleberry thing, either.
You are one patient lady!!!!!
Thank you for making me smile on this yucky morning that I have to go to work!
Looks like a good time, in spite of the lack of huckleberries!
I love the pick of your Jason in the vest. It made me giggle. The things we do for ice cream 🙂
If more of the viewing public would read your blog, you would have had hundreds of thousands of votes! I enjoy it 🙂
Has LJ turned Masai warrior and pierced his lip with sticks and bones? ‘Fess up now.
You have found your calling. You are becoming a fantastic writer and storyteller. Holla!!
That vest ensemble is hilarious! I also love the parachute (what a shame you vetoed it).
I love the offer of meaningless points. I give them to my kids all the time. Then my 6 year old asks what their totals are so she’ll know who’s in the lead and I have to make the numbers up, but make them realistic enough that she won’t notice I’ve made them up…
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This post had me in stitches – all the pics, the huckleberry talk and FIL’s blog comments! 🙂