The Grand Canyon is…GRAND!

Crazy Camping 

Thursday June 2 

This morning before we left Albuquerque Caleb told me his goal this summer was to be nicer to Annabelle and to be a better example to her. It was the sweetest thing. I know it can be hard to be patient and I’m grateful for him taking responsibility for his own actions. 

Our original plan was to camp in Flagstaff, but because of an event happening when we arrived and a tunnel fire that they were working to contain, most of the campsites we looked at were no longer available. I thought camping at the Grand Canyon wouldn’t be an option because we hadn’t booked ahead of time, but we checked the website anyway. Lo and behold there was one spot open for two nights in the Desert View campground in the east entrance. We were on our way to camping at the Grand Canyon! Thankfully we arrived late afternoon so it was still light when we set up. 

Before we got to the campsite we stopped at Walnut Canyon National Monument. We got our very first stamp in our national park passport book and started our sticker collection to decorate our Thule on top of the van. The canyon was beautiful, but the most special thing was the ancient dwellings built under the cliff hangings in the mountain. We walked around the rim  to get a view of the canyon. I like how there were so many different flowers, plants, and trees. It was a beautiful walk. Annabelle loved running up to all the signs in front of the plants. We read every single one. It was fascinating to learn about what each of the plants were used for, everything from medicine, to brooms, to hair brushes. 

Josh & Caleb on the rim path around Walnut Canyon 

Banana yucca plant 

Walnut Canyon 

Setting up a campsite with four children is as crazy as you might imagine it to be. We got the tent ready to go, then realized we’d set up the whole thing backwards and had to turn it around. We got our kitchen area set up and then realized we had to move it towards the picnic table for our new stove to sit on. All the while our two year old is crying because he’s tired, has a painful diaper rash and wants to be held. Then our four year old refuses to walk to the bathroom down the way because she wants to pee at the campsite like her big brothers. At the same time I’m trying to cook dinner (sausage and veggie skillet) and then roast marshmallows over an open flame on our propane stove to make s’mores. This is the dry season, so you’re not allowed to make a campfire with wood or charcoal. Suffice it to say, it was a stressful set up. We want to enjoy the experience, but we were all a little tired and annoyed by the end of dinner. 

Just before sunset we take the “secret path” right beside our campsite to the canyon. It was breathtaking. Every other annoyance or exhaustion fell away and we all stood by the canyon in awe. My favorite part of the day was standing there with my family. We all held hands and prayed. I felt connected to God, my husband, and my children. It was a beautiful experience.