Aspen Grove Family Camp

Have you heard of Aspen Grove Family Camp?  My family is kind of obsessed with it.  BYU runs a sleep away camp in the mountains next to Sundance.  How it works is your family signs up by going to this website:  Aspen Grove Family Camp and then you all show up on Saturday for your week of glorious glorious fun.  I was a huge skeptic, bigger than you are right now, I promise.  The first year they went my response was “Why would anyone willingly go to Utah on vacation when you could go to a beach or somewhere exotic?” and I boycotted saying it was the stupidest idea I’d ever heard.

Cougar Convert

But then they came back regalling me with reports of meals you don’t cook nor clean and kids happily spending the entire day not touching you at all!  The second year I went and I was sold.  This year I looked forward to Aspen Grove Family Camp (you have to say the whole thing, it’s the cool thing to do) for months.

Here’s what happens at Aspen Grove Family Camp.  Each family gets a suite: a living room (with a foldout), a kid’s bunkbed room and a queen size bed and a bathroom.  Sleeps about 6, or more if you’re crafty.  The rooms are all joined to a main living area where we all hung out.  There’s a cafeteria that serves good food three times a day at scheduled times.  You just herd in there and gorge on Americana food and then leave. After breakfast the kids meet with their groups and counselors.  They run there happily because it’s so much fun, EVEN THE TEENAGERS.  The high schoolers are not too cool for school at Aspen Grove Family Camp. The youngest kids they take are 4 or 6 months.  Each group has their own schedule and the kids stay in them until they break for about an hour for lunch.  In their groups they go on hikes, do nature things, do the ropes course and climbing wall, do arts and crafts, play games, go swimming, learn songs, etc.  The babies have a nap room.  The kids stay in their groups all afternoon, then we meet them for dinner.  After dinner there are family activities: outdoor game nights run by the counselors, family contests, dances.  It’s all day fun.

I wish I had taken a picture of all of us dropping off our kids at their fun groups as we dance away clicking our heels.  It was delightful!

Aspen Follies Family Activity.  They plug the holes in the trash can with their fingers while trying to fill it up with water.

What do the adults do while their kids are in the slammer having the time of their lives?  Having the time of OUR lives.  We chat with each other.  We play paintball to the death.  We NAP a lot.  We read books.  We throw pottery.  We stare into the middle distance.  We go on hikes.  We even take one day to leave camp without any children and go shopping. We actually get to talk to each other.  And shoot each other with guns.

BIL Carl, BIL Mark, My mother (she did not wimp out!), sister Ellie, Me, dad (who got shot in the head) sister Val, SIL Aubrey

There are a few religious things that happen at camp, but they’re not heavy handed about religion which I appreciated.  John Bytheway came and spoke on Sunday night, which was pretty cool.  You don’t have to be LDS to attend, you just need someone in your family to be an alumni of BYU.  You can also have guests come and hang out for the day and participate in the fun.  Hush and Niya came, we played some epic Reverse Charades.

 

Celia’s wonky pot

Aspen Grove Family Camp is fabulous.  You should go with your family, make them do a family reunion there.  Aspen Grove Family Camp should pay me for my glowing review.  If you go and you don’t like it I shall eat my hat.

 

Cousins swinging at camp

Me and the minions (Mimi 6, Jude nearly 5, Silas 3 1/2)

 

Group performances on the stage

 

Jim’s Proof of Heaven with an Ellie photobomb

 

Me and SIL Aub doing the Camille pose, in honor of my little sister who could not attend

 

All the cousins practicing for the family talent show

 

Craftin

 

Braggy story: I was voted MVP of Paintballing AND recruited to be on a team with my BILs (one of whom is an Army vet) to play against three big stranger dudes from another family.  I was the bravest and went for the flag every time.  We mopped the floor with them because I would run for it amid a shower of paintballs while they covered me.

 

Battle wound.  It expanded even more after this and lasted two weeks.

 

Kids doing family talent show.  They sang “Modern Major General”.  This was Silas’ and Jude’s first time on stage and they were champs!  Better than I did at age 3 and 4.

 

Facepainting with my “best friend” Ellie.

 

Aubrey charmingly presenting her offering

 

Jude catching his first fish with Grandpa!  I helped him with the bait and taught him how to use the pole, but Grandpa had to interact with the fish once caught.  I’m so grateful I have the opportunity to teach my kids things, this was a very special activity for me to see Jude jump with surprise and joy.

 

Aspen Grove Family Camp has a strict you-catch-it-you-eat-it rule.  You bring it to the kitchen and they fry it up for breakfast the following morning.  It is a learning experience, for sure.

Sylvie and Jude are exactly two months apart and they are serious buddies.  They would sit at the table and chat with each other giggling for an hour.

And then they would beat the crap out of each other. 

Silas loved shooting guns.  “Again! Again!”

 

On our day off my sisters came up to SLC to check out my new house.  This is our cheesy woman portrait, gazing off into the distance.  Except Paige.  Val (6) Aubrey (SIL) Paige (2) Celia (1) Ellie (4) Mom, Me (5) not pictured: Camille (8) and brothers Phil (7) and Nate (3)

 

Sunset Jesus because my turquoise Jesus broke.

At the pool.

Happy family. 

Patrick Park – Something Pretty