Jemez Falls Day 2

We spent a lovely morning drinking hot chocolate and attempting to make pancakes in bacon grease on a too hot caste iron skillet. Jeb started teaching Hyrum how to play chess and we leisurely broke camp and packed up the car. 

 

At 11:00 am we drove down the road a couple miles to the group picnic site we had reserved. Matthew set up the hammocks, Jeb got out the bocce balls and chess board, and people started trickling in for the Ward BBQ. There were roughly 50 people in attendance, which is about what I anticipated. We had an appropriate amount of food and I think everyone had a good time. The picnic itself didn't last too long, as people headed off on hikes soon after they were done eating. I'm really pleased with how it turned out though, and think it set an excellent precedent for similar events in the future. 

The Sandgren's and Albach's were doing the short .25 mile hike down to the Falls, and our kids weren't quite ready to go home yet, so we decided to join them. The boys did a little wading in the shallow creek above the falls and after a quick family photo we decided Mercy was fading fast and we figured it was time to call it a day.

On the way home we stopped by some booths on the reservation where Native's were selling Jemez Tacos. These tacos were saucier and much spicier than the Navajo Tacos I've had in the past and I think if we ever stop again we'll just stick with plain fry bread. It took nearly two hours to get home, as Matthew was particularly conscientious of the speed limit, and as soon as we arrived the kids went straight in the bath. Matthew unloaded the car while I bathed and fed the children. Abraham and Mercy happily went down for bed at 6:45, and Hyrum consented to at least stay in his room, so Matthew and I enjoyed some ice cream and caught up on the last couple episodes of The Flash before going to bed ourselves. 

My thoughts after the fact: I went camping a lot as a kid, and remember really loving it. This was the first time however that I was the one responsible for making the magic and, as I've noticed with many things relating to motherhood, it was a lot more work than I ever imagined as a child. Anticipating needs and being prepared, I think, is the key. The kids went to bed much later than usual, and Mercy only napped for 20 minutes in the car, so in the future we need to remember to plan any big hikes for the beginning of our trip while the kids are still fresh. I definitely want to have some dedicated cooking supplies in a tote ready for next time, and I think I could be better prepared with a few extra clothing items for Mercy, but all things considered, I think it was a very successful first go at camping as a family and I look forward to doing it again soon.