Thursday, September 22, 2011

Yosemite

Yosemite was absolutely
a.m.a.z.i.n.g.

In fact after looking at all my pictures you will either really want to go to Yosemite to experience the wonder yourself or feel like you have already seen all there is to see through me.
You're welcome :)

There's just something about being surrounded by God's magnificent creation that is unlike anything else. This trip definitely confirmed that the Sellars' are a camping family. Aaron and I want to take the kids camping at least once a year.

Every good road trip starts really, really early and includes breakfast from a donut shop along the way.

The drive up was long but the kids did great!
All I have to say is thank goodness for the portable DVD player and a backpack full of toys!
Oh and for kids that still nap.

Once you enter into Yosemite National Park you drive through a tunnel, turn the corner and BAM you are greeted with this beautiful landscape.

Not too shabby if you ask me :)

Once we arrived we headed straight for our site at Lower Pines to set up camp. It just so happened that we scored the most perfect group of campsites that were right along the Merced river.

Camping is fun but camping with 4 other families who are also great friends is even better!

Last year we took my parents tent trailer but this year we decided to try out a tent
and it was...cozy.
Our little 6 person tent was jam packed with 3 cots, a pack and play and a bassinet. I'm not sure how the tent maker came to the conclusion that it could fit 6 adults but we made it work.
We also went back to REI and returned it for the 8 man tent as soon as we got home.

Day one we headed to Mirror Lake.

My little wilderness girl

and her sidekick :)

It ended up being a really easy hike

and it was so pretty.

Mirror Lake ended up being more of a pond (if that) but the kids didn't mind.

They loved playing in the freezing cold water

and I loved watching them.
It was way too cold for me.

We even saw a deer run right next to us!
Like a little too close for comfort next to us.

I could stare at this view all day long.

The Bumbo is definitely a camping essential if you have a baby!
Madelyn loved hanging out in it and watching everyone while we were back at camp.

After Mirror Lake we took a trip into Camp Curry to get some wood and a few other things.

The kids found this branch at Camp Curry and thought it would be good for some fire wood.
Such big helpers!

The best part of camping (in my opinion) is definitely the campfire!
Wesley thinks so too.
He kept bringing us the bottle of lighter fluid saying "More FIRE!".
He's kind of a pyromaniac.

Oh and the reason the campfire is the best part of camping is because you use it to make Smores!
Mmmmm!

We also tried out some Mexican Smores.
Just put some peanut butter, pieces of chocolate, and mini marshmallows in a flour tortilla, fold, wrap in foil and wait for everything to get hot and melted then enjoy!

Reason I love camping #100...
Kids can be entertained without toys or TV!

Rocks+river=instant fun

love our little family!

The girls are ready for the hike with their walking sticks.

Day 2 we decided to hike up to Vernal Falls.
My friend had been there in the past and convinced us that it was one of the most beautiful places ever.
She also told us that it wasn't that bad of a hike.

Boy was she wrong!
Well she was right about the beautiful part.

But wrong about it being easy!

Aaron carried Wesley in the backpack,

and sometimes Kenize on the front too.

And I had Madelyn on the front in the Ergo and our daypack with all the water and food on my back.

It was a tough hike but we made it!
I was so proud of Mackenzie.
She hiked almost 3 miles (round trip)!

with a few breaks here and there from Daddy.

Wesley was also beat from the long hike.
He was so out that we even made a video of him pretending to talk while we moved his mouth.
It is one of those things we will keep for his wedding day :)

Day 3 we went to Yosemite Falls.

The walk from our campsite to the trail head was beautiful!

I loved the meadows with the purple wild flowers!

so. pretty.

Yosemite falls was beautiful too.

We had a great time playing in the pools at the bottom.
It felt so good to dip my dirty feet in that cool water after all the hiking we had done.

And since we are a little crazy....
we decided to stop by Nevada on the way home.
We left Yosemite after dinner and drove through the night until we reached Aaron's grandparents house.

It was so good seeing Aaron's grandma, grandpa and great grandma!
They had never met Wesley or Madelyn so we were definitely due for a visit.

And Wesley fell in love with his Papa.
He followed him everywhere he went. It was so cute!
And he also fell in love with Papa's car.

Papa even took the kids out for a spin in it.

After a yummy meal and some time visiting with family we grabbed some beef jerky and headed home.

It was such a fun trip!
We can't wait for our next camping adventure!

3 comments:

The Miller Five said...

What a fun trip. Beautiful pictures. It reminds me of our trips to Yellowstone and Jackson Hole, before we moved out here to Maryland. :)

Erika said...

awesome!!you are so brave to go camping with three little ones!!thank you for the pictures!

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