Hi Ho the Dairy-O..A Camping We Will Go!

Oh yes, we had THAT much fun!
Paul and I had not been camping since fall of 2001. Needless to say, that experience and this one were different, although there were a few similarites. Let's compare.

SIMILARITIES:
~Both were church related excursions - so good friends were our company for each one.
~Fall 2001 started off with rain and Spring 2008 had rain the second morning.
~At both we ate, slept, and enjoyed great company.

DIFFERENCES:
~Fall 2001 we had no children - Spring 2008 we had THREE (a whole host of differences there!)
~Our first trip neither one knew how to start or maintain a fire - this time we were pyromaniacs!
~Paul and I had never been camping prior to Fall 2001 so everything was creepy, crawly, or covered in mud! This time, we really just enjoyed the experience and let the other stuff go! What a way to live:)
~Fall 2001, we were both at the mercy of nature and our friends for most everything. Spring 2008, being 'older and wiser' does have its advantages!

How about a few 'camp-isms' from my family to you?

Kazoo - the boat that you ride in on the lake..aka a canoe!
A Yak - the funny looking boat that only one person can ride in on the lake..a kayak (wow, alot of A and K there!)
Turdy - yes, a turtle...but this was the name that Chloe decided 'he' should adopt
Crappyfish - name that became of all fish caught when trying to explain what type of fish they were
Foyer/Mansion - ok, this one was from the adults but it refers to the huge tent with a screened porch area that we were blessed to be able to borrow from our wonderful friends - thanks Phillip family!

Ok, enough with the lists! If you hadn't guessed by now, we had an absolutely fab-u-lous time last weekend on our camping excursion. The weather was perfect, except for a short rainburst on Saturday morning. Even that was timed well, as we had all been up quite early (I'm talking 530-6am!) that day. So naptime it was for most all of us. How refreshing to have nothing to do but take a midmorning nap - I want more of that! The whole weekend was relaxing and stress free.

Having two adults and three kids in one tent wasn't something that Paul and I were excited about, but it was so much fun! Jacob and Chloe thought that sleeping in a tent was an adventure in the making. Even Jonah collapsed into giggles each night when he was laid down on an airmattress next to his brother and sister. Thanks to the generosity of friends, we had a tent fit for a royal family and loved it!

There were boating trips - a few that reminded us all of an accident waiting to happen, fishing dates that caught more seaweed than fish, playground and pool time, and food that was better than what I cook at home on a daily basis. We were spoiled rotten and it was a blast!

Memorial Day Weekend 2008