After our hike up to the Bristlecone Tree Grove, we were all hungry and so we had some lunch in the parking lot. Jamis was way past nap time at this point, and so was crying and whining and wanting to be held the whole time I was making sandwiches, but it wasn’t until I got everyone fed that I realized he also had a really nasty blow out diaper! Eck! Which had caused a diaper rash. Poor guy! It was at this point that I wondered why in the world I traveled hundreds of miles away to take the kids to a National park when I could have just stayed home! ha ha. But we got him all fixed up and in a new outfit and got some food in him and he turned back into my happy boy!
At that point I probably should have just headed home. But we were there in the National Park and I didn’t know if or when we’d make it back and so I decided to try to push to go and see one last place. That of Stella Lake. It was supposed to be a short easy hike according to the visitors center and only 1 mile long, but apparently that was one way! In reality it was a 2.4 mile round trip hike and way over what the kids are used to hiking in one day (we usually don’t try to push them past about 4 miles which we’d already done hiking to Teresa Lake and the Bristlecone Grove). So needless to say the kids were NOT happy about going on the hike and complained the entire 1.2 miles there! I almost turned back so many times, but I just knew it would be worth it! And boy oh boy was it! Such a gorgeous lake! And once we got there, the kids were in lake heaven and even said how glad they were we had come! They had a ball throwing rocks in the lake, skipping rocks, breaking rocks, and finding pretty colored rocks. They also took their shoes off and got in the water for a bit as well. Below are some pictures of our hike to the lake, and then some of the lake as well. Had we all had a bit more energy I think we would have found the hike to be really pleasant! And it certainly was gorgeous!
Jamis ended u falling asleep on the hike in which I thought was so cute!
I do have to say that I was quite proud of myself on this trip. It was my first time attempting an overnighter with all 5 of my kids by myself. It was also my first time driving that far from home without Adam which I usually hate doing. And my first time hiking with a baby on my back for that many miles and hours (over 6 miles!). This was a big step for me who wouldn’t even go to the store with Branson when he was a baby! I’ve really come a long way! But you know what? Besides the occasional whining and complaining from being so tired, we all had a really good time, and I would do it again in a heart beat! I sure do love spending time with my kids and making precious memories with them! I am so blessed to be a Mom and wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world!
These next few pics are from our drive home.
