Camping Part 3

Well the ending to this story of our 5 day camping trip goes like this...

We get back from our near tragic family bike adventure and scarf down some yummy sandwiches. Ya know anything eaten outside in the warm sun can just taste delightful! Jeffrey was in the tent recooping from a very serious bike wreck...thank you Lord for watching over his hard little head...despite the lack of brain usage on his parents part as well! Jacob and Julia were playing around and Marv was in the hammock watching this huge boat, while I was cleaning up from our lunch. I notice the clouds in the sky seem to be getting closer and the wind started to pick up...yet again!... Now all week long we had clouds roll in and roll out along with the wind that never really produced much rain, so I started to just assume that this would be the same way. Each time it seemed like it would rain for the past four days we had to fold up all the chairs, put food in the cab of the truck, close windows on tents, and take down towels off of clothes line. I asked Marv who was still coveting....I mean....watching the boaters loading up their boats onto the trailer from the water , if he could help me put stuff away cause it really seemed like it might be a for real storm moving in this time. Not 5 minutes after getting the last thing put out of the elements the winds pick up fast and furious....oh don't forget the dog!....chunked her into the tent and batten down the hatches.

Now if you have ever experienced a bad thunderstorm in Oklahoma you would know that a tent is not a place that you would want to take shelter from the winds, rain, and hail. This huge, new tent has an entire ceiling made of mesh for great venilation on a warm summer night. The tarp that goes over the top does come down to keep water from coming in...unless the winds are blowing at 60+ and then it just doesn't quite cut it! It didn't take long for us to realize that we were gonna have to grab our kids and Deeds and make a run for the truck...which we did! We sat in the truck for about 1 1/2 hours waiting for the storm to slow down finally we decided on going to get some diesel to make good use of our time.

When we got back to camp Marv and I went to the tent to survey the damage and found several places where the water dripped in and got our beds, pillows, etc... wet. At one point Marv asks me if we should just pack up and head home...now have you ever had a wet soggy tent, sleeping bags, kitchen gear, etc.? The only thing worse than having to pack up all your camping stuff to go home, is having to pack it all up wet cause then stuff can get mildewed! So we just decided to tough it out. That night was one of the dampest, coldest, and longest nights! We were able to spread everything out the next day to let it dry out before sweeping off all the mud and trying to re-bungy cord everything back into the truck!

What a blast we had now that I'm sitting here in my nice, warm, dry home. I'm so thankful for the time period that we were born in. There is nothing like bonding as a family in the great outdoors though. I'd do it again in a heart beat, but could we consider a trailer hon?

Camping Trip Part 1

I grew up tent camping for weeks at a time during our 3 week summer vacations all over the good 'ole USA. Our family of six would pile into our latest dodge van that pulled a converted motorcycle trailer turned camping gear trailer. My dad even had us set up with a porta-potty for #1 only thank you, and even made curtains for our van. He also rigged up a bed to go behind the back seat with a foam mattress for napping on our long journeys. I loved helping my daddy set up the tents, etc... I was sure at the time that I was a huge help and he couldn't do it without me, but now I know I was probably more in the way than not! (Thanks for letting me feel like a big helper though dad!) I loved camping...washing my face and brushing my teeth in the freezing rivers of Colorado. Getting postcards, souvenir spoons, and making great memories along the way.

Well.....my sweet hubby also grew up tent camping and so we decided to try and get more camping in for our family this spring. Why not start off big like a whole 5 days during spring break? We loaded everything and I mean everything...including the kitchen sink, bikes, and the dog. The great thing about packing in a truck is there is virtually no limit to how high you can pack and stack your stuff! Of course that does mean that you have to have some skills with the bungy cord. Or should I say CORDS (plural) cause I'm pretty sure we used so many I can't count that high! I tell you if one thing flew off on the highway it was ALL gonna go! Now that would have been a sight! Marv has the same knack that my daddy has for riggin' up stuff and even welded and made this hitch rack a year ago....which came in quite handy for all the little extras I kept throwing in last minute!

You know the thing about camping is that it really shouldn't be considered a VACATION for the mommas cause you have to pack up everything and I mean everything in the kitchen and be prepared for anything and everything that usually can and will happen, but now will be attempted outdoors! If you want to cook a meal of hot dogs, beans, chips, and maybe even a little dessert then you've gotta not just pack the weenies, and buns, but also the mustard, mayo, ketchup, relish, spoons, knives, something to cook the weenies with, paper plates, can opener for the beans, pot to cook the beans in, spoon to stir the beans with...you get the picture! I did precook the brownies the day before at home, so at least those were done, but a little flat by the time I got them off the truck from under who knows what! Then once you finally finish the wonderful meal...it's time for dishes done with cold water from a faucet that in real life you only use to water your plants and lawn outdoors. It was fun to wash each piece by hand and hose and then hand it to Julia...only to watch her set it down on the dirt to dry it off! Too funny, but at the time frustrating and back breaking! Then putting EVERYTHING away...back in the rubbermaid tubs and back in the truck for safe keeping from the little critters overnight! It was pretty exhausting, but I was glad to have Michelle there to help for the first couple of days! It was nice to have a hammock to go to when I found a moment to be still and dream while looking up into the leafless trees! It was peaceful though!

The new tent that we had never actually been camping in had more than enough room for our family of five, dog, and all our stuff. It was hilarious to watch Marv and the boys put it up with all the poles and just to see the shear size of the thing. Marv got a good deal on the tent that is literally bigger than our living room with it's three doors, two rooms, and huge windows! It was a good thing that the winds hadn't picked up yet! Yes the wind was just a beating! We found a great spot out on a penisula type place that I'm sure in the summer is nice to have the breeze. We had great weather the first day and night, but after that it was pretty much non stop wind for the duration of the trip! We now know why there weren't any other people camping around us...they all were smart and crammed in together over by the trees that shielded them from the wind. Oh well we had plenty of room to spread out, and if anyone did try and come camp near us we just told the kids to run around and be loud. That usually kept most from wanting to be anywhere near us!

We had our little tent set up for Michelle and the girls, and a huge tarp between the two that allowed Gabbie to be able to move around with out getting too dirty...although playing in the dirt was on her agenda for the week! Here are some pictures to enjoy and I will make sure and finish at a later date with the adventures of our family bike adventures!