Pregnancy: 47 Lindsey: 0

It's been a hard summer for me. Usually by mid July I've put in at least a good two or so weeks of camping, added about 5,000 miles on the car and completed about a hike a week, a few bike rides, a little climbing, had a Moms vacation and if I haven't done a river trip already there's at least one on the horizon.

It's not been for lack of trying. We had a few trips planned that all fell through, which almost makes it worse. The lack of travel (aside from St.G and back, which doesn't count) has been really wearing on my mental stability, so when this weekend presented itself as quite possibly the last weekend to fit in a trip I just HAD to do it. We meant to leave Friday but Ari had a fever, so the new plan became Saturday. Just up to Franklin Basin, nothing too extravagant.

I knew as soon as I woke up Saturday morning it was a bad idea; and it had nothing to do with the fact that Joe had a sore throat or that Ari didn't sleep well and was having a re-occurrence of his snotty nose and an all together bad attitude. I believe it was the sciatic nerve that tried to warn me. Although I've had some serious back pain for the last few months I had yet to experience the sciatic nerve pain...until yesterday of course. I figured I would either be in pain here or up in the mountains, so I drug my leg around the house behind me and continued to pack. This pregnancy has totally kicked my butt since it began 8 months ago, I wasn't about to let it win yet another battle so we forged ahead! Allow me to dictate the events that followed:

Ari has a meltdown in the grocery store, he wants to push the shopping cart but has no shoes. Traumatic.

It's over 90 degrees outside and about 140 in the suburban. Thank goodness for A/C...oh wait, it decided to stop working. Down go the windows, I bake in the sun.

Ooops, forgot my back pillow.

Dust flies in my parents newly detailed suburban (which I detailed). The thought of me re-cleaning it sends chills down my spine, or maybe that was just the way the bumpy road made this kid bounce on foreign tender internal body parts.

Amazing flowers! We get out to take a walk, something bites my foot, it swells.

We find a creek to soak my foot and cool off. Flies of all kinds gather around our heads, ahhh and were down stream from a large herd of bathing sheep.

We get out at another meadow. I drive off and leave my camera case.

Oh good, there's a campsite. Mosquitoes, lost of them. Ari and I seek refuge in the tent.

Were starving, as soon as the suns off the fire pit we start a fire hoping the smoke will deter the mosquitoes. No such luck, especially for Ari who's just eaten a banana.

We roast hot dogs, only one fell in the fire (it was Joe's). We eat and swat, eat and swat. Ooops no plates, a frisbee will do.

My back hurts, theirs no relief, it's quite maddening. I'm weak from heat and lack of protein and feeling all together somewhat miserable...but I will persevere in the name of camping! Joe LOVES doing all the work and Ari seems to be enjoying himself. I'll be fine.

Something bites my other foot, my middle toes begin to look like sausages.

Joe and I start to laugh, we've never met a camping trip we didn't like. Until now.

Ari and I get in a fight over him eating a carrot he's been rolling around with his foot.

Oh wow, it's only 5:30.

What the! Braxton hick like contractions coming every couple of minutes.

Mosquitoes gang up on Ari. Ari says he wants to go home; Joe starts to pack up before I can say "are you sure?"

Joe packs, I become Ari's bug swatter, we're out of there!

The no treats unless you ate your dinner rule goes out the window. We all cram in the front of the suburban and eat treats all the way down the mountain.

The last 30 minutes of the ride I'm forced to muster large amounts of energy to keep Ari from falling asleep. I succeed.

We get home, bathe, set up a tent is Ari's room, play some trucks, watch a quick video and Ari passes out.

Joe and I unpack taking intermittent breaks in front of the blessed swap cooler...didn't we just pack all this stuff 10 hours ago?

Ahhhh, my lazyboy. Ahhh my bed. I go to sleep feeling somewhat defeated. I don't think I've ever had such an adventure free summer...or maybe it's just my definition of adventure?

Photos of the actual "trip" later.