GO CAMPING!
Smoke drifted up through the dark tunnel of leaves above us, hitting the navy sky and dissipating into a mass array of twinkling stars. We sat in the warmth just listening to the sounds of the summer night.
Crickets and peep frogs- the rustling of our little bandit raccoon who had stolen my hot dog just a few minutes earlier.
The kids had finally drifted off to sleep in the tent, after reviewing the days events to each other at length. Luke stating "Raccoon stole mommy's hot dog!" Erin confirming and then wondering where exactly she was again... "
Yeah! Rachoon!...Micahs house? Emmy's house?" Luke, " We're camping!"
It was our first camping trip with both of the kiddos- and so far it had gone so much better than we expected. The kids were giddy with expectation. I don't really know why we were thinking it would go badly- our kids are happiest when they are outdoors and getting dirty.
Jared and I just sat there by the crackling fire and chatted- reminiscing- eating smores--or in Jared's case just the chocolate since he doesn't really like marshmallows and his "for the sake of roasting a marshmallow" mallow--caught on fire and died before he had to eat it. Convenient.
Eventually we joined the kids in the tent- and slept amazingly well! I'm kinda thinking that we are just used to sleeping like crap these days- so the fact the both the kids slept fine in the tent and so did we- made it seem pretty good!
Breakfast of bacon, eggs, and cinnamon rolls cooked over the fire- and of course percolated coffee tasted like breakfast fit for a king.
The day then was spent, throwing rocks in the creek, catching salamanders, swimming in the lake, playing in the sand, on the playground, stepping in goose poo, and eating our lunch in a beautiful little grove of pines by the lake...while getting rained on...and it didn't matter!
I sometimes get grumpy. Ok, I often get grumpy, and I blame it on things like- life as an adult and too much responsibility. Or I watch the news, read an article and it makes me wish I didn't live on this crazy messed up place we call Earth. Or I spend all day being a referee between two little monsters-- I mean- beautiful children, and wonder just how much I am messing up this whole parenting thing.
Camping make you step back from all of that. It makes you stop and listen. Reminds you of the simplicity that can be. The gift that is life. The joy that is family. I looked up at those stars and couldn't help but sing in my heart one of my favorite hymns, For the Beauty of the Earth.
- For the beauty of the earth,
- For the beauty of the skies, For the Love which from our birth
- Over and around us lies:
- Lord of all, to Thee we raise
- This our grateful hymn of praise
- For the beauty of each hour
- Of the day and of the night,
- Hill and vale, and tree and flower,
- Sun and moon and stars of light:
- This our grateful hymn of praise...
