After all, how can you be happy sleeping on the cold, hard ground, breathing smoke, eating cold, burned food, walking to the facilities that happen to be an outhouse and not showering for 3 days?
I could easily be swayed to say, "Why would anyone do this... for fun?" It's a lot of work to get ready to go camping. It's a lot of work while we are there. And it's a lot of work when we get back home. Load #8 of smokey, dirty laundry.
But we went camping last weekend and I was resolved to be a happy camper. Crazy enough, I found a whole list of things I loved about the experience.
I loved sitting by the fire and sipping tea.
I loved conversations that wouldn't happen anywhere else except around a campfire.
I loved watching my kids get completely dirty and not yelling at them about it.
I loved spending three whole days with my husband and watching him interact with our kids.
I loved that my kids got to play with their cousins.
I loved that playing with dangerous objects like knives, axes, and open flames suddenly becomes okay while camping.
I loved that it was sunny and warm during the day.
I loved my little cabin by the lake that never dipped below 70 degrees inside.
I loved that I got to sleep in a bed not on the cold, hard ground.
I loved cozying up with my two littlest in our cabin that I nicknamed, "Tenderfoot Lodge."
I loved listening to Remington's constant conversation as we went to sleep -- he is quite the talker away from his sisters' company.
I loved waking up to a perfectly calm lake view at morning's first light.
I loved that my husband carried the baby around in a front pack the entire weekend and looked awesome while he was at it.
I loved being stopped by many random strangers who were enthralled by the idea of a newborn on a camping trip.
I loved eating eggs and bacon and fried potatoes by the fire.
I loved watching my mother-in-law in her element, cooking up crazy amounts of delicious food on the open fire.
I loved the competition of marshmallow roasting that ended in everyone sticky and everyone smiling.
I loved that my husband took pictures of our weekend and I didn't have to.
I loved that we got a family photo, our first with Tommy, and we all look so true to our real life. A little zany, but happy to be together.
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| Tenderfoot Lodge |
Oh ya, and I loved coming home and taking a shower.
A happy camper,
4 comments:
Cute family pic... And you look gorgeous!:)
Real men frontpack! I love the photos and the fact that you let your children play with flames. That family picture is priceless. I hope you find the perfect frame for it!
Ah, schucks! Jayne invited me, but I didn't know cabins were an option! ;o) And you guys sure lucked out on the weather this year too, eh? Glad you were able to enjoy your time, even with a newborn!
Love that last picture - it sure brings back the memories for me of taking out the rowboat on the lake with Grandpa for a little morning fishing.
I'm obsessed with Mandy's model shot. Something about that girl just tugs on my heartstrings.
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