wildwood

Our spring break destination: Camp Wildwood Ranch, California!

We loaded up the van and then we were ready and excited to meet just 80 of our closest friends up there. Ha! What started as a trip with a few families, snowballed into a trip with 13 families, many of which I didn't know very well. It was a good lesson for me to relax and roll with the punches and I'm glad I did because it all worked out pretty perfectly. We had such a blast!

We traveled with our good friends and our kids hopped back and forth between cars the entire trip. We shared snacks, movies, dramamine, and throw up. And made lots of stops. But how else would you do it with 11 kids between us? 

I know you can't read it, but Layla is holding up a sign that says "help me." Kyler made one to hold up on the window, forgetting that our tinted glass probably made it difficult to read. But Layla thought it was all pretty funny.





One of our stops along the way there..



I was aching for the days when we used to meet up with good friends at Ensign Ranch in WA over spring break. So organizing this trip was both familiar, as it reminded me of that, and new, because I had never been to this campground before and we were such a large group going. But it turned out to be pretty incredible!! Camp Wildwood Ranch was beautiful! There was so many different things to do. All of the kids found other kids to run around with the whole time. We gathered for meals and tried to gather for night time activities. The adults had plenty of time to talk and hang out and play games. There were harmless pranks and so much fun.





Brinna loved all the attention from all of the teenagers and kids around camp. We had lots of help keeping an eye on her.





We spent one day organizing kids to try archery, tamahawk throwing, rock climbing, and the zip line.











































One of my personal favorite activities was the obstacle course. And watching Kyler throw himself over the ropes.

Somebody brought this blow up guy for a board game ("who’s that dude?" game). The boys took it over and used it as a running camp prank to leave it around camp. We found it in our cars, the bed, dressed up in grandma’s swimsuit, etc. They definitely crossed a line when they attached it to a urinal though...

You betcha we had a dance party. With glow sticks.

And my boys and their long hair made some new friends.

Before we left, wen enjoyed some games with the Martin's.



Highlights from the three nights we stayed at Wildwood:

-night hiking to the top of the mountain with the cross. Kyler practically carrying Perry the whole way.

-The older boys letting Perry hang out with them during the day. Perry was in heaven!

-deciding on our cabin theme song...I think we still need to vote. :) “surfin’ USA” or “jump around”

-the girls waking the boys up with “jump around”

-Takkis 

-the Limbo! 

-Brinna and kids swinging on the porch swing by the lodge

-talking with Kyler and the teenage boys late at night and hearing things that he has done (and hopes to do) that will give me gray hairs for sure

-creating our obstacle course and racing Nicole, Kyler, and others. And then the world’s most graceful extended fall when I tripped over a rope during the course! Haha.

-trying to see how high we could jump and hold on to the rope wall

-Perry zip lining because the boys told him if he did he could hang out with them the rest of the day

-Layla having a blast with her favorite person, Kate, and then all the other little girls her age

-cooking one meal and then being fed the rest of the week

-playing on the giant see saw with Brinna and Jane

-adults playing code names at night (though I personally avoided actually playing because I am all code named out)

-meeting some new people and getting to know some people we didn’t know very well a little bit better

-telling the boys to ask a mom to dance during a slow song. And so Kyler went straight over to the new teenage girl he met. (cue my eye roll)

-seeing happy kids playing and exploring everywhere
-making plans at midnight to extend our trip