All For Love

My idea of roughing it is any hotel below the quality of a Hampton. 

With that statement, it is obvious that I am not a camper. 

Yes, I was Girl Scout.  I did my fair share of camping, in tents, with spiders, and rocks as my mattress.  I've paid my dues.  And yes, I spent many a summer at camp.  However, our cabins were more like dormitories than camp cabins. 

When we married, Hubby commented on the niceties of going camping. 

:::crickets:::

After having children he commented on taking the kids camping.  He has my full blessing to take the kids camping, I'll stay and keep the house fires burning for their return. 

With saying all that, we have been camping.  It appears I love our children more than my husband, since they are the ones that have dragged me WAY out of my comfort zone. 

We tend to camp a cabin, or a pop-up camper.  Neither of which falls under my "Hampton Inn" criteria.  

Why do I not like camping, other than I'm not sleeping in my bed, and the bugs, and the lack of A/C?

First there is the planning, and packing.  I must pack WAY too much stuff, household stuff, for my liking.  Then there is the arrival, and unpacking.  The one night of no sleep, which equals to a feeling of constant fatigue for the remainder of the weekend.  All through out the weekend dealing with bugs, and dirt, and rain, and no comfortable place to sit, and bugs, oh, and the rusty nail I stepped on. 

Let me give a big old call out to my midwife who kept me on top of my shots!!!!!

Then, once arriving home, there is the unpacking of household stuff, and laundry.  Oh. My. Lands.  The laundry.  How does one weekend account for 10 loads of laundry, ... and a call to the midwives office to check on my shots record. 

Why do I do it?  Because the kids love it.  When we head to camp (which, seriously, accounts for 1 weekend or 1 week of my year, so I can stop gripping now) the kids have such freedom.  They play in the stream, catching fish and who knows what else.  They bike all over the grounds.  The swimming pool is only a bike ride away. 

And us parents?  We are able to sit, and talk with adults.  Enjoy a cup of weak coffee, and the great outdoors. 

Last week, as we finished our breakfast around the fire, my friend sat down, coffee in hand, and sighing, "this is the life".  And it was.  It was peaceful.  Almost perfect weather.  The kids had rushed off to play, and we were sitting under a tree, next to a fire, enjoying God's amazing creation.

Unfortunately, God created me with a jaded streak.  After RY's exclamation of extreme satisfaction I had to added in the desire for a spa next door, and maybe a couple fewer bugs ... and rusty nails.

All for the love of my children.