Carla's Rumblings and Ruminations: About Where We Think It Would Be Fun to Pack Up A Whole Lot Of Stuff and Play Outside For Three Days

For the third year in a row we packed our vehicle as full as it would pack with what felt like our entire house and went camping with my parents.

Whoever thought that sleeping outside inside on the ground protected by a small canvas room, cook and eat and play in the great outdoors along with 30 bazillion mosquitoes and other bugs, and not bathe or shower for three days FOR FUN was deranged of mind.

We must also be missing a few screws because we had a great time!

The sun was wonderfully hot during the day and the mountain air was refreshingly cool at night.

Sierra ran herself ragged (and us!) by riding her bike, swimming, building sand structures, zooming down the slides at the park and just being an active four year old!

Sawyer decided that eating small rocks would be a good dietary staple. Between constantly pulling pebbles out of his mouth and preventing him from going on his own walks he also wore us out!

By the time the kids were in bed each evening all we could do was sit by the fire and drink wine. Often we'll pull out a game or two, not this year!

After three days we stunk like skunks and our skin had turned a peculiar shade of brown that was not a tan. Also, because there were enough mosquitoes to drive one to the looney bin and we put on so much bug repellant that by the end of our excursion we could practically scrape it off with a spatula!

So was it relaxing?

Heck no!!!

Was it rejuvinating?

Yes, in a reconnecting-with-nature-forget-about-home kind of way.

Did we create fantastic family memories?

Definitely!

Will we do it again

Guaranteed!

We were constantly fighting with Sawyer to keep his hat on! Here's one of the rare moments it stayed put for longer than 5.6 seconds. (Pssst, don't Sierra he has her sand pail!)