Sunday camping

Last night was pretty cold, it was 37 degrees with a steady rain and stiff wind. We put on every bit of clothing we had, and did a triple layer of socks... But we were feeling the chill even before it was dark outside. As soon as the suns sets, the cold makes a hasty entrance.

I had brought a heating pad, but even that didn't keep away the cold. We ended up all cuddled together, doubling the layers of blankets. Luckily the tent didn't leak and we were safe and dry.

In our bedtime prayers, we thanked the Lord for the steady rain since I'm sure the plants were appreciating it. Tomorrow morning we are hoping to purchase an electric blanket that will cover us all. In this tourist town I wonder how expensive it will be if we can find one. It's supposed to get colder later this week, so perhaps we'll just need to toughen up a bit.

The woods around us are gorgeous, and this morning was quite cheerful when we woke up to a warming sun and dozens of chirping birds. It was very peaceful and the discomfort of last night was quickly forgotten. We are camped next to a clear creek of ice cold water. It sounds so soothing.

This morning was a large power outage so we had no water or bathroom facilities. We trekked deep into the woods armed with toilet paper for taking care of necessities, and thoughts of the nearby grizzly were not far from my mind. I was a bit nervous to be so deep in the woods, and made a quick jog back to camp where it felt safer. It was breathtakingly beautiful all around us though.

We attended the local church service for the LDS Church and discovered they had no power either. It was an adventurous meeting held by flashlight and a few bright work lamps powered by a local members generator. The building was filled to bursting with attendees, I've never seen so many people packed into one church building before... People filled the chapel and gym so it was standing room only, people filled all the classrooms in rows of chairs, and the foyer was also filled with rows of chairs. Even with all these chairs set up, there were still too many people so they stood in the halls and completely filled them. What a glorious site to see on a Sunday morning!

We didn't stay for Primary, but instead came back to our campsite for our own Sunday lessons. Sarah and Matthew were eager to prepare a lesson, so they worked together to present a lesson about God's creation of the earth. Fitting topic in our present surroundings! They collected clever visual aids from the woods and created an interactive game to review the information. They did such a great job. Daniel was in charge of music, and Joseph was in charge of prayers.

The rest of the day was spent playing in the cold creek, collecting rocks, exploring the woods, and playing together. We are looking forward to entering Yellowstone park tomorrow!