DESERT BONDING WITH MY BOYS

Ever since I started taking our high school men to the desert, my kids have been begging me to take them. I have taken them several times shooting, but never for an overnight stay and never with "fire". But this year I promised them I'd change that and we'd go spend the night and we'd invite some friends and family- (The Berrytribe with Sr. member Papa, The Phillipsons, The Hammonds, and The Bowers)

So, the Friday after thanksgiving we ditched the women, finished loading up my truck, a trailer, and 2 suburbans and peaced out of El Cajon and headed to our favorite desert spot- an hour and half east of us.

Here's what was on the agenda for our 30 hour overnight trip:

• eat too much food
• shoot shotguns and .22 rifles to the tune of over 1500 rounds.
• HUGE bonfire with some explosions
• model rockets
• climbing rocks
• zipline
• letting my kids do all kinds of stuff they can't do at home.
• 4 families, 9 kids, 6 adults

Here's what was not on my agenda.

• 40+ mile an hour wind storm starting at 1 am on Friday night.
• Having the wind break my french press- for the 3rd time in the desert. I need a steel one for the desert and camping evidently.
• Getting chased out earlier than planned on Saturday cuz we were completely soaked and freezing from the rain.

Here's the pictures that prove it was all worth it anyway. My kids now have back-to-school stories to tell today and for years to come. Including Billy doing the zipline in a torrential downpour!