Mt. St. Helens camping trip....

In the words of Jacob, "This is the best trip yet!  I don't ever want to leave!"

And that really sums it up!  We made the most of our days and explored.  We lounged around in the evenings --swimming, sitting by the fire and laying in the camper til all got quiet.  But the best part is that we all agree we HAVE to go back next year.  We've got things to do!

We (Me, Michael, Jacob, Nicholas and Mom) decided to make a circle.  We took Hwy 12 through White Pass (all through Washington).  It was absolutely beautiful and we found a ton of places that we'd love to stop and camp.

Jacob with Mt. Rainier.

Nicholas with Mt. Rainier.  We all gasped as he got up on this rock...the kid can hardly stand on two feet most days!

 We arrived at Ike Kinswa state park after about 4.5 hours.  The five of us are getting very efficient about setting up camp.  We work fairly effortlessly and all pitch in!  The boys love this process.  (Thank goodness!)

Site 51.

Chilling before heading to the lake for a dip!

This is the first time that the boys have been able to make s'mores while camping.  The other site we were at wouldn't allow fires!  They loved this....and so did I!

Snoozing!

Nicholas loves to cook....especially while camping.  This morning, he made boysenberry pancakes.

 On our way up to Mt. St. Helens, we stopped at this Big Foot.  Michael dreams of seeing it and said that this was as close as he would probably ever get to being pooped out by Big Foot.

 It took about an hour and a half to wind our way up the mountain to get to Mt. St. Helens, but it was SO worth it!  The view was amazing every single mile.  

And once we were to the top, it was breathtaking.

 Michael has dreamed of coming here for a long time.  He spent a lot of time just reading and looking.  Next year, we plan on taking one of the trails and heading to the other side of the mountain.  It's only 8 miles and would make for a fun day trip.

 After a day of hiking around and viewing, we came back to camp for some swimming in the lake and playing by the fire.  Fire can keep boys entertained for hours.  Unfortunately, the termites flying around didn't stand a chance with these little pyros.

I think I say this in every post, but it's worth writing....these boys are SO good.  Yes, they have little spats, but they get over it quick and their relationship is rock solid.  They love each other so much and truly enjoy the time they spend with each other.  I do notice that their humor has moved up a notch on the maturity scale....*sigh*....but often find myself laughing too.

 I'd have to say that the highlight of our trip was going into the Lava Tubes/Ape caves.  You can not imagine what this is like until you experience.  Total dark, 42* and quite the hike.  It took us about 40 minutes to go 1 mile.  This was the "easy" tube.  The boys loved it.  It was like playing Indiana Jones.

Nana was a trooper and did it too!  There was even a spot towards the end where we had to crawl and then shimmy like a snake.  For her boys, she did it all!  Jacob led the way and Nicholas never left her side.  It was pretty sweet.

 Next year, we want to do the more advanced cave which is 2 miles long and requires some climbing.  We'll be even more prepared next year.

 After leaving the Ape Cave, it was time to head home.  Although it was a LONG drive, our time there was worth it!  We had back through Oregon this time and enjoyed the beautiful PNW!  We didn't get home until after 8 pm, but everyone did their part to get us 

unpacked and settled in for the night.

It was an amazing trip.  Can hardly wait for the next one.