The Tent Warriors Return

Life is returning to normal today. We have returned from the camping trip and Chris has returned to work after his Veteran's Day holiday. I am so glad to reclaim my house and get that awful smokey smell out of all our clothes. Let me tell you all that happened this past weekend.

You may remember my dilemna after Chris' parents found out they couldn't join us on the trip because there was no spots for their RV. I was so concerned about Caleb's cough (which he STILL has) and the cold nights. Chris' parents offered to take him for the weekend at their home. We grabbed the opportunity and dropped him off with all his stuff. He was ready for a fun weekend with the Grandparents. Chris came home from work an hour early, we packed up the car, and off we went. I was armed with my mini-pharmacy to deal with my own cold and stuffy nose. Needless to say, I was a bit worried about camping myself with a cold but off we went anyway.

Since we were going to get to the campsite after dark anyway Chris and I went through a drive-through and ate some very yummy cheeseburgers and fries. It was great to eat a "real" meal before camping and to have one less thing to do once we got there. Most of the drive was spent talking to the other campers on the phone and figuring out their estimated arrival times.

We got to the state park and set up camp. There was a fire already going and it was COLD. I quickly put on my sweater, coat, and wool hat. Once the tent was set up we were able to enjoy the camp fire as we waited for the rest of the group to arrive. There was tons of talking and catching up and then we headed to bed. Chris is very good at setting up a warm tent and I never worried about being warm once I was under the covers. It was just the changing clothes and possibly having to get up to go potty that really stunk.

We slept pretty well, considering the location, but the air mattress seemed to be acting oddly. It just wasn't very firm even though we pumped the fool out of it. Well, it turns out there was an unknown leak somewhere in the mattress. So, by morning we were sleeping "snuggly" against the ground. Ugh! We got up and dressed quickly and Chris got the fire going again. We ate breakfast and greeted our friends as they emerged from their tents one by one.

The day was spent roasting sausages, sitting by the fire, tons of talking, napping in the hammock, falling out of the hammock, canoeing between the cypress trees, napping in the tent, and just enjoying time with my husband. The beauty of camping is that you don't have to know the time and you do what you want when you want. You eat when you are hungry and you sleep when you are sleepy. It is a great change of pace.

Once the night came the temperatures dropped again very quickly. By this point I was pretty tired of the cold. I think the cough made me a lot more sensitive to the cold. The group sat by two big fires and played a fun board game. There was much laughter and wonderful fellowship. By the end of the game we were quite ready to hit the sinking mattress. I was woke up in the pre-dawn light by my screaming bladder. I tried to ignore it and go back to sleep. But, alas, it wasn't meant to be. I got up in the cold and walked to the bathhouse and returned. By that time I was pretty much awake and I couldn't get back to sleep.

The rest of the morning was spent warming up by the fire and eating breakfast. Chris and a friend returned our canoe and I broke down the campsite. Once everyone had their cars ready to go we planned stopping in a bigger city and eating at IHOP. There was a party of 8 and apparently IHOP can't sit 8 stinky campers. We waited an hour for our table. One couple left because they were sick of waiting. I think the remaining 6 were sitting at a table before that couple left the parking lot. Oh well! We ate some real food and dreamed of showers and laundry.

Chris and I got home and unloaded the car. I took my shower and I SCRUBBED. I washed my hair, soaped up with Dial soap, washed my hair, exfoliated my skin, conditioned my hair, and used fancy, good smelling soap. It felt GOOD!! After Chris showered we retrieved Caleb from the Grandparent's house and then Chris' partner returned Eowyn. We were a family again!! There is nothing like home!!

Until next year, I will dream of campfires, hammocks, and hopefully, a new FIRM air mattress. Did you hear that, Honey?!