Millcreek Canyon, and a side note about friends

In the past couple of years I could count on one hand the amount of times our family has taken advantage of the beautiful mountains and canyons we live so close to. Parker is a... handful, to say the least. It's only been in the last few months that I've felt comfortable going to a non-grocery store location without a stroller (and accompanying seat belt). Needless to say taking him into a dirt filled (my issue, not his), unfamiliar area with open fires and millions of wandering possibilities was not high on my agenda.

Luckily we have friends that still want to be friends even though I've turned them down for camping/dutch oven dinner opportunities too many times to count. They're good people. Great actually.

Last weekend, we had one such opportunity AND WE TOOK IT! We headed up Millcreek Canyon and had some delicious dutch oven lasagna, dutch oven bread (I didn't even know you could do that), and smores. It was chilly- well, really it was cold. But we endured and had a lovely time during what will hopefully be the first of many of these types of evenings. I enjoy camping, but not with a small child. And this was such a nice compromise. Camping food, great fire, awesome friends, and no tent set up. Totally my kind of night.

Parker is still a challenge, but he understands more and he's much less of an injury risk than he used to be. Well, he's still an injury risk, but I tend to be less worried about scrapped knees and bloodied elbows than forehead gashes and lost teeth.

Every picture I have of this child in the mountains has his face covered in dirt.  I just love it!

Leah stayed clear of the fire pit all night. And when I say, 'clear' I mean a good 10 feet away at all times. She wouldn't even near it to roast a marshmallow.

Conner Gillespie (age 2), Kaleb Snell (age 7), Ashton Snell (age 4), Leah Quinney (age 6), Parker Quinney (age 2), Mckay Porter (age 1).

There's just nothing quite like a good set of friends. I didn't always feel like friends were important, especially once I got married and started having kids, and I still will always find my best friend in my husband (after all he's who I confide in, and worry to, and vent to, and share joy with...), but I really value the few close friends that I have I need far less than 10 fingers to count my really close friends. There's just something about connecting with people that you have history with. People who know who you have been, who you are, and can see you for what you will be. People that allow you to change and welcome a new part of you. It's just so comfortable.