First Time Campers

Yay for family reunions!  And I could end my post there.

We had a three day family reunion this last week.  So, over the fourth of July we gathered together to renew the bonds of blood.  My parents, my brothers and sisters, and all our kids.  Wanna take a guess at how many of us there are?  Go on.  Guess.  For whoever gets closest I'll send you some brownies in the mail. (I have to exclude anyone who was actually there.  Sorry.)

For the special occasion, I bought a tent and a lantern and a few sleeping bags.  I figured that, along with lots of water and my food assignments, that was all I would need.  Right?  I mean, it's camping, not moving.

Now I know why so many people bring air mattresses when they camp.  Rocks and roots are not actually all that comfortable.  I also know why there are so few pictures of people who camp.  No running water.  It's amazingly hard to look picture perfect when you're trying to function on three hours of sleep and no good way to spruce yourself up.

What I loved about camping was the rainstorms.  No, really.  It rained on us both nights, but being inside the tent and listening to the rain popping onto the canvas like we were huddled inside a popcorn popper was great.  Also, it's been a really long time since I've slept that close to my children, and there's something reassuring about listening to them breathe as they slumber.

Of course, it was also fun to cook, clean, chat, and play with my brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews.  I don't get to do that enough.  And I look forward to doing it again.