Camping was great.
Thomas did an amazing job of listening and staying close.
It was Monkey who was always trying to wander off.
My parents and (most of) my sibs came with - so lots of extra eyes and hands.
We went to the same place as last year - it's a nature reserve, so you have to haul your stuff in carts because the parking lot is at least 1/2 mile away from the campsites. There's good and bad about that situation. Nice and quiet (and no RV's or trucks next to your tent!) but when it rains the day you're leaving it's a long soggy walk back. Several, actually.
What's camping without s'mores, I ask you? (Thomas had warmed marshmallows on gluten-free snickerdoodles).
It really is a beautiful area - where a river meets a reservoir. My dad brought his canoe again so we could paddle around. We were the only non-motorized boat in the lake.
One of my pet peeves about where I live is the love of motorized recreation. Sounds dumb, but everyone here has a boat. Or really wants one. And then they have to get the big truck or SUV (don't get me started about those) to haul the boat. Or the jet-skis. Or the four-wheelers. Or in winter, the snowmobiles. When camping, it's all about the RV's. If you want to spend time outside then you're missing out on a lot if that's all you're doing. What happened to hiking, camping (in tents!), canoing, and doing things that are a little slower paced? Relaxing, so you can notice the animals, the sound of the water against the boat, the hawks circling the trees. I think we all need more quiet. Especially our children.
Okay, I'll shut up now.
