Camping

We have a bucket list for the summer and I have my goals for this year. On both of these lists is "Camping!"  I have been looking forward to crossing this off our list for a very long time. I LOVE camping. I especially love to do something that I know my kids will love too. When we told them we were going camping, it was like how those wacko kids react when their parents tell them that they going to Disney. There were screams of joy, exhiliration, and backflips. Okay, maybe not backflips, but I totally think they would've if they could've. Then the "are we going camping today?" question started. Thankfully, we only told them a week before, so we didn't have to deal with that for too long.

The problem around here is that you never know what the weather will be like from day to day so we didn't want to make a promise we couldn't keep. The weather on Friday night was rainy and stormy, but Saturday afternoon shaped up to be perfect camping weather.  So we loaded up and headed out... 30 minutes away. :) Hey, we were excited but not crazy. We figured if everything went to you-know-where in a hand basket we wouldn't have too far to go home. 

And, as I suspected, and, not gonna lie, kinda dreamed, my kids loved every minute. Every minute. Landon kept asking to go to bed because he was so excited to sleep in the tent. :) We had fun camping food like tacos in a bag (aka walking tacos) which made some happy campers (literally!)...

And, of course, s'mores...

Dan showing Annika the art making perfect roasted marshmallow

There was also a lot of dust... 

Last minute moment of mommy brilliance...bringing a few plastic construction trucks...

I lasted as long as I could, but, finally, right before bed we loaded up the kids and drove over to the showers. I just couldn't do it. Dirty feet and bodies covered in bug spray crawling into in sleeping bags make me cringe (I am kinda hyperventilating right now just thinking about). 

As Dan and I were sitting by the fire when the kids were settled down in the tent, he asked me "Why? Why do you like camping?"  And to be honest, I couldn't really put my finger on it. My family and I camped during every summer vacation since I can remember. There is the smell of the trees, the fire and, the food.  Even the quiet whirring of a propane lantern brings me back. The sound of crunching gravel underfoot while walking to the bathroom guided by a dim flashlight and looking up to see millions of stars. Then there was waking up to a view similar to this every morning: 

My dad tinkering around the picnic table, cooking up some scrambled eggs in bacon grease. :) Other than Sunday nights after church, the only time I remember my dad doing most, if not all, the cooking is when we were camping. He was in his element. I could tell he loved it all. The coolness of the morning, the dampness of the dew on the tables and chairs. Listening to nature slowly waking up. It helped that we camped in some of the most beautiful campgrounds in the West. I have just good, good memories. I am sure my mom could tell you all the work it was getting ready. Trust me, I felt it when we got back and we only camped for one night! But, I hope she knows that the memories my brother and sisters have of our family camping trips make it totally worth it. I really, really hope to do the same for my kids. For now, I am happy with some big "thumbs up!!"