The camp out

Camping Fun vs. Camping not so Fun

Fun--the anticipation, packing up, Not so fun--finding an old mouse nest full of droppings in our camping chairs, Fun--gathering up firewood from our recently trimmed trees, loading up the car, Not so fun--getting stuck in traffic, Fun--driving through a small river, Not so fun--no park ranger in the office--be back at five, don't know where to set up camp, Fun--Lucy and Owen running around while Kurt and I set up the tent , Not so fun--Owen running too close to the road, Fun--rolling out sleeping bags, kids playing and LOVING it, Not so Fun--getting nervous about the cold night ahead, Fun--going to see the Gorge and crunching all the leaves on the way, Not so Fun--Lucy insisting on pushing the stroller and going painfully slow, Fun--getting the fire started and roasting hotdogs, watching Owen drop his hotdog 100 times while trying to get it back on the skewer, Not so fun--eating the hotdogs :), already feeling to cold and rushing through dinner, Fun--sitting around the fire singing songs, Not so fun--Kurt forgot his guitar, getting Owen's pajamas on and trying to teach him how to sleep in a sleeping bag, Fun--Kids are asleep Kurt and I get to hang out by the fire, Not so Fun--I am panicked about Owen being in the cold...Kurt offers to take him home and join us in the morning, Fun--Lucy and I sleep pretty well, we make a decent fire in the morning. Not so Fun--my socks, only pair of shoes and pant legs get soaked through from the morning dew, Fun--Kurt and Owen return, Kurt brings his guitar and we are serenaded by the fire, Not so fun--Mel gets stung by a wasp, Owen spills cherrios and milk all over the double sleeping bag, for several reasons Kurt and I decide the tent we just bought is a piece of junk and wasn't all the cheap, Owen gets stung by a bee, Cleaning out and taking down the tent and tarp (I usually never like this part), putting everything back once you get home, Fun--taking a warm bath or shower and getting all clean and warm again.

I was the one begging for us to go on this camping trip and I have to admit that I felt it over the weekend that the not so funs outnumbered the funs...I think much of this could have been avoided if we made it in the summer when it was warm. Or if I could just have a better attitude. Even though it wasn't the trip I was hoping for, I really did enjoy experiencing it with my family and I know Lucy thought it was the greatest little camp out ever and she'll wonder why we don't do it every weekend. It is great to watch your children delight in things.





















































The Bee Sting

Worms in my pocket

A few weeks ago after church a little boy gave me an acorn he had collected. I thanked him and mindlessly put it in my pocket. Today I wore the exact same outfit (I'm sure many of you have seen plenty of it) and this morning I took out the acorn. I notice it had a little black whole and I thought "ewww that looks like a worm whole" and then I stuck my hand back in my pocket--WHY??? Did I WANT to pick up those worms squirming around--NO, but I just did it and then I screamed and threw the acorn and worms on the kitchen floor. Lucy was at the table eating breakfast telling me to calm down. EWWWW I got rid of the acorn (OUTSIDE) and the worms, and turned my pocket inside out. Tonight I was together with a group of friends and told them of my icky acorn story. I was reinacting putting my hand in my pocket to find the worms and what do you know, a lonely staggler was still there. It was so gross....and I got to share that yucky feeling with several others today. I have since looked in all the cracks of that pocket with a flashlight and turned it inside out once more....next it will go through the wash!

That added to the excitement of me finding the little nesting grounds of last years mice problem in our camping gear Friday afternoon and the wasp sting I got on my foot Saturday morning, as well as Owen's bee sting that afternoon. I DO LOVE nature, but I am getting just a little too much of it this week :)!!