WE DID IT!!!

We did it people...we went camping WITH Dakota...AND we had SO much fun!!!

Zach's dad's side of the family goes almost every year. Since Zach and I dated we have gone every year they have gone...except when Zach was in the hospital with his eye stuff (we missed that year...not by choice).

DATING

This is how he won me over! ;)

HUGE PREGO WITH DAKOTA!

HUGE I KNOW...I don't think Zach is breathing! ;) (This was bout a month or less to go so give me a freakin break!) :)

Dakota's first camping and fishing excursion...big fish!!

My sister and her kids got to come with us that time...so Dakota is "pretending" to ride the 4-wheeler with Trai

 His AMAZING grandparents always set it up and most everybody comes...aunts, uncles, cousins...the whole shebang! It is always a blast because his family is so fun and Zach LOVES camping, fishing, 4-wheeling, being outdoors, campfires, EVERYTHING!! I like it too but Zach really comes alive in this atmosphere and I LOVE to see him so happy.

So this year when it got set up we didn't even hesitate to go. Luckily they got a spot in the Uintahs that had little cabins or trailers you could rent...which made bringing Dakota and all his equipment possible.

As the week of finally came around I started to get worried. What if Dakota just cries the whole time and it is horrible...then what? So I told Zach if it goes bad I would just leave with Dakota the next day and let him stay the next night and enjoy it because I knew he wouldn't if  Dakota was ornery.

As we were packing up the whole house pretty much and I was making a million meals for Dakota I started thinking...is this worth it???

As we were driving up the 4 mile dirt road in the mountains Zach and I both kind of looked at each other and said...what are we thinking...this is crazy...are we really doing this?! Don't get me wrong...we were excited...but bringing your child with a million and one health problems into the middle of nowhere where you couldn't get help for a long time seemed all the sudden like not the smartest thing in the world...BUT we have to live right???

Despite ALL of the worries, we had an amazing time and Dakota did SO good! Lucky for us Zach's parents came the first couple days and first night so they were a HUGE help with Dakota. They actually slept with him in the rented trailer the first night while we bunked up with Zach's cousin Scott and his wife in one of the little cabins. Zach and I started off together on a little single bed but after the heat and claustrophobia set in I moved up to the top bunk...so we were bunk mates! (Zach said the bunk beds reminded him of his first night in the MTC thinking...what did I get myself into?! ;) ) The next night Zach's parents weren't there so we had the trailer all to ourselves. It was a fun little atmosphere.

Luckily we brought up Dakota's oxygen concentrator (as we debated over it) cuz he needed it in the nights. (Not sure if it was the elevation or what)

Zach and I went river fishing with Doug. I got to wear my new waders for the first time...I felt like a REAL fisher woman....even though I won't touch the worm or the fish! ;) That's why I have Zach! We came across a huge beaver dam that was SO rad.

Zach's parents took Dakota on lots of walks and we went on a lot of Ranger rides where we saw Moose and deer.

Snugglin with Dad

and grammy!

Look at that cute lil camper!

Poppy cookin up some dinner!

One ride Zach, Dakota, and I snuggled on the back seat of the ranger while his cousin drove...Dakota looked up at us with his little perfect face and smiled and both Zach and I were in heaven. It felt SO good to be doing something FUN as a family again. Those times are harder to come by these days since we don't have a healthy child that enjoys many kid things or anything for that matter so we don't do much. But this was one of those moments where I just started thanking my Father in Heaven that I still have this precious boy, that I get to be his mom, that I have a little family of my own!! I couldn't have been more happier in that moment and it made the WHOLE trip!!

Best night ever!!!

That and seeing Zach so happy and alive in his most favorite element. Even though he can't see clearly the beauty around him he just kept saying it is so pretty up here. He could just feel it I'm sure!

Thank you SO much Grandma and Grandpa for setting it all up! Grandma even shared a little bit about Zach's grandpa Joe that passed away when he was little. It was SO neat to get to learn about this great man and see some of the amazing paintings he had painted.

Thank you Doug and Vicki for all your help with Dakota!