Family Camping Trip to Green Valley Falls, San Diego, California

If you are really my friends, you won't ask about my outfit. And if you do, I won't explain anyway.

We camped over the weekend with the Grandparents Curry, their two children ( Mr. Curry and his sister, Kristi ) and their children's families. I hope so much that one day Mr. Curry and I will find ourselves camping with our four children and their beautiful families. Green Valley Falls is only about an hour and a half drive from home, but it's a world away from everything. It's pure gorgeousness. As soon as we hit the road up the mountain I felt my cells begin to relax. Ever fell asleep in the carseat, the kids didn't fight (much) and I stroked Lola's hair as she rested on my lap. Mr. Curry is the best driver I've ever driven with, so even twisty windy mountain roads don't make me (too) nervous.
We set up camp in the morning hours, ate a light meal and got ready for the hike to the falls. Here left to right is Grandpa Curry and below him Lola and Jacob, Ian and below him Dakota and Everkins, Andrew (the oldest of the boy cousins) Mr. Curry and Reef.
My beautiful boy. I love him with everything.
My silly beautiful babykins. I love her with everything.
Lola, Jacob and Reef climbed on the rocks like squirrels, chattering endlessly about whatever imaginary game they were playing, joking, falling and crying, being comforted and resuming play. When Reef fell Jacob ran over to announce He's not OK! He's crying about fallin down. Those boys are SO CUTE.
Dakota and ee hung out by the firepit while I got dressed and sunblocked Lola Moon. Dakota always gets huge grins out of his smallest sister.
Mr. Curry Bjorned Ever on our hike to the falls, standing against the magical backdrop of the Green Valley.
The Falls are a clustered, large area of successive drops of small waterfalls down breathtakingly beautiful rocks and growing plant life. The water was ice cold. One minute in and you began to go numb. It was so beautiful that I didn't care.
The Falls attract a large crowd over the summer. Mr. Curry has been going since childhood. He kissed a girl ( yo, Tabitha) on a large rock at the campground, and fell on the slippery rocks and cut his head open badly one year, leaving a scar and bald spot on the back of his head.
Ever and I inspect the beautiful water reeds.
Uncle Carl (Kristi's husband) takes the kids to one of the Falls.
Lola was so brave. I was SO proud of her. She didn't complain or fuss, just busted out into the ice water and walked all over very intimidating large rock formations. She walked to the top of a fall by herself while I peered at her through my fingers and sun.
Ever is a river fairy. Didn't you know?
At the edge there is a drop where you can jump into a deep pool of the ice water. Lots of people do. Including our boys.
Mr. Curry hangin with the family.
I love my girls so much...Lola was really blowing me away this day. So confident, strong, brave, playful- I am so proud of her.
I bought her new googles. She's rockin em.
The boys hanging by the jump. There were a bunch of teenage girls also hanging by the jump. The boys stayed when we went back to camp. :)
Ever peering at the world in the hammock with Mommy. We rocked back and forth and Ever was totally delighted. I felt as calm as I have in a loooong time.
My love.
Ever was hanging out in her playpen when Lola jumped in too.
Ever is a total Daddy's girl. I mean, you should SEE her face every single time she sees him. She smiles and squeals and says Da-Da and does the open and shut palming motion we've 'taught' her for 'picky up'.
Gee, think she likes the swinging hammock?
The boys being campers. The next morning, after waking up from a freeeeeezing night ( we weren't prepared for the highly unusual summer night cold temps- the kids we kept warm, but we froze ourselves) Mr. Curry, Ever and I drove to get a cup of coffee at the local shop. On the way there, I spotted a deer in the road and told Mr. Curry to watch out for it. We were so happy to see one! Then not a minute later, there was another deer, darting into the bushes and looking back at us. We were thrilled. But on the way back was the biggest gift of all: on the side of the road, foraging in a burnt and regrowing chunk of forest by the side of the road, was a herd of deer, including little baby dearling. The largest of the herd stopped and looked right at us for a long minute or two, assessing our intentions. They slowly hopped away, the littlest minding the grass until he noticed that everyone was gone- oh no!- and hop skipped away as fast as his little hooves let him to catch up with his herd. I know how he feels. xo