Into the Woods

The last time Jon and I went camping was in the summer of 2005, just before I found out I was pregnant with Ruthie. I can't believe we waited three whole years to go again.

I know our reasons for putting off going- It's too hard with a baby... The kids won't be able to sleep if they're not in their beds... How are we going to fit everything in the car... and any other argument you can think of with one to two kids, two dogs and us.

We finally had our opportunity when our friend Walt called on Thursday and said, "Hey- you guys want to go camping tomorrow?" Our initial response was, "Hmmmmmm...well...I don't know..." until we finally said, "Let's just do it!" We figured the worst case scenario is that we would have a horrible time and then we just wouldn't go again until the kids were old enough to handle it.

Instead, it turned out to be a wonderful experience and we are ready to go again.

Ruthie had a blast! She helped set up the tent and searched for firewood. She enjoyed her first campfire, or "candles" as she called it. She even dragged her sleeping bag and pillow back and forth a hundred times between Uncle Walt's tent and ours trying to decide where to sleep. She did wake up in the middle of the night a little spooked and cold, but after finally calming down she slept well into the morning.



Gabe had no problems camping! He stayed right on schedule and slept all night long- even through Ruthie's crying spell. And he was quite content in his camping bed- a perfectly-sized cardboard box! Don't knock it- it was way easier to transport and set up than the pack-and-play. Gabe didn't seem to mind one bit!



I hope this will be the first of many camping trips to come. I know many people who have fond memories of camping with their families when they were young. I want my children to be no different.