{ housekeeping camp }

I think the coolant light started flashing somewhere around Paso Robles. Always a great start.

Yosemite is the place my family has vacationed to the most in my lifetime. Probably because my mom doesn’t believe in planes…and Yosemite is within driving distance. And also probably because it’s g-o-r-g-e-o-u-s. On the familiar windy drive down into the valley, my dad asked my sister Emme what she was looking forward to the most:
“The gift store…oh and the shuttles.”

Love her.

saw these faces often

My ‘shallow reading’ for the car ride consisted of Skinny Bitch. And while I wholeheartedly embraced about 78% of what the authors had to say, I must admit that it was the worst topic I could have soaked myself in en route to spending 48 hours with my family. The book is all about revamping what you put into your body, food-wise, and using your head when you eat. There are separate chapters that send dairy products, meat products, and refined sugar to hell…the three predominant things I was raised on. There are also other chapters on eating organic and cramming your diet with so much produce that you practically turn into Larry the Cucumber. Things I was not raised on. Needless to say, the trip was a slight battle...me and my dried fruit and organic superfood bars, next to the #1 Cocoa Puffs buyer this side of General Mills. :)

chili night in the kitchen

our backyard, two feet away from our campsite ~ merced river

She also goes by the name, 'Dora the Explorer'...maybe you've heard of her...

Zoe was super into spotting the waterfalls way off in the distance wherever we went. At one point she looked up, grabbed my hand and said, "Maddie, I think that waterfall is following us!" Four-year-old perspectives are awesome.

lower yosemite falls

springtime in yosemite was breathtaking...especially the hundreds of dogwood tree blossoms

beck, em, mom, dad, me ~ vernal falls

Becky's nature art

So much of the trip was about introducing this adorable toothless monster to camping in the great outdoors for the first time... 

Zoe wins the best camper award...hands down. Most phenomenal attitude I've ever seen in a four-year-old. 

And of course my mom refused to leave until we had done a little photo recreation of me supposedly flipping off the camera when I was four. Turns out there was actually someone staying in the tent cabin we randomly chose to do the mini photo shoot in front of at 7am. That could have been timed better.

thanks, mom