O' Daughter My Daughter

As far as daughters go mine has got to be the best. I know that one might find my opinion somewhat biased in this but I can tell you that it is not. I conducted a scientific study which did indeed find that my daughter is the best. If I were not her father, I would want to be.

So that being said and my own objectivity being beyond reproach I give to you a brief recap of the 1st (and best so far)father and daughter campout a somewhat substandard father and his A#1 daughter attended recently.

Soon after moving back to Mesa an announcement was made at church regarding a father/daughter campout. Curiosities were peaked and nerves were set on edge as my employment at that time required working the weekends. The fates intervened and pushed the outing back a bit, while also granting me a new job that didn't require weekend work.

So this weekend G-mama and I headed out to the White Mountains to camp out with the other dads and daughters. After a brief detour to Wally World (because what campout doesn't start out there?) and a ruggedly cooked meal (at McDonald's, her choice)we took the back roads past Saguaro Lake. Gracie said that she loved the road because it felt like a roller coaster and asked if we could revisit it on the way home in the daylight. We hit the spot after a quick roadside potty break (I'm not saying who had to go!) and a long discussion as to the merits (or lack thereof) of vault toilets. The aroma of broiling steak could do nothing to touch the satisfaction I felt with a tummy full of McNuggets.

We walked around and decided it was a little too cold, and a little too wet, and a little too wet to set up the tent. Gracie hatched a plan: let's sleep in the sub. So we did it. And were rewarded by a nice warm night's sleep. But I get a head of myself. First we braved the cold, had some hot chocolate, made a s'more, and tested the above mentioned (and thankfully lighted) vault toilets. Then we slept.

Morning arrived and with it some cool (no pun intended) fog, awesome breakfast, and the promise of a hike to the creek. While at the creek Brother Musgrave of the Bishopric asked if we wanted to try fishing for crawdads. Grace was all over it. She turned out to be pretty darn good at it as you can see below. After fishing, we headed back to the camp, packed up, and headed home. On the way home we absolutely did not stop at DQ in Payson and partake of a cookie dough and strawberry cheesequake blizzard.

A scene or two Gracie liked

The fisher woman

And her catch!