Camping at our Place

Fishing and Wishing

The camping trailer is all cleaned out. The leftover hot dogs and hamburgers are put in the freezer for the next time the grandkids come over. The sand has been washed out of towels, bathing suits, pants, shirts and underwear. The fishing rods (the ones that didn't break) are put away and the lost hooks lamented over. The stories about the one that got away have been told and now, that's it for another camping season.

Every year we go for a minimum of a week camping with my husband's family. We book the group site and then proceed to fill it up, jamming as many campers in each spot as possible. It was quite a gathering this year with brothers and sisters. And as nephews and nieces get older, get married and bring their own campers and their own kids. (and sometimes a few friends). It's always a lot of fun. Many stories are shared, games are played, swimming when the weather is nice, fishing always regardless of the weather, tubing and sitting around watching competitive games of corn-hole, and washie. Some baseball is attempted and always, always stuff for smores is ready for kids to roast over the ever burning fire.

Every morning it's pancakes over the fire with kids lined up holding their plates looking expectantly at the pancakes getting flipped.

Adults always wait until the kids are done because then we can eat our pancakes in peaceWe never go hungry because there's always bags of chips or popcorn or containers of cookies or squares being passed around. And then we eat again.

It's a fantastic time and I never take for granted the chances we get to do this. I'm thankful for our large family and for the connections we can share, and the times we can spend together. The last couple of years we've lost dear members of the family so each moment spent together becomes more precious.

I am also thankful for our camping trailer. I used to think camping was only legitimate if you tented. No longer. I love my refrigerator and I love hearing the rain on the camper roof, knowing I don’t have to worry about sleeping bags getting wet. Knowing I can just roll over and go back to sleep if I don't feel like getting up yet.