Matt's family invited us to go camping for a week. Fortunately, Matt had to work and couldn't take off a week. I suggested that we go for one night. You see, I am not a camper. I come from a long line of not campers and I expect that my children will carry on with the tradition. Although, I sometimes wonder about that because of where they are growing up. In fact, Audrey has been after Matt to take her camping since last summer.
I have scant little camping experience. I completed four years of Stake Girls Camp when I was in Young Women's and felt quite happy that I did it. My first year we were stuck at some awful lake, in tents, and had to cook all of our own food over a fire. Keep in mind that this was June and it was Texas. Multiple girls ended up with heat exhaustion and several had to be hospitalized. But I was only 12 and was young enough for such things to bother me very little so I went back the next year.
That year, and every year since, we went to a real camp. We had cabins with big screened in windows so we could catch a breeze and bunk beds. The camp had a pool, horses, zip line, pond for fishing, archery, kitchen and dining hall, basketball court with bleachers, bathrooms with showers, and lots of room to hike and camp out overnight. Lest you think us spoiled please remember that it was still June and still Texas and no amount of amenities makes up for that. The first year there we had to be diligent about watching for scorpions. One girl in my ward found "a few" in her bed. We also had to deal with chiggers (even consistent use of the sulphur sock offered very little protection) and ticks and oppressive heat and humidity and no air conditioning. Every year we always seemed to have several leaders who were either from or had lived in Utah. They would always tell us how easy those Utah girls had it. They got to camp in the nice cool mountains. It seems that for the adult women the heat was the worst thing we had to face. But I was young and with my friends and had fun. When I finished my four years though, I was done.
And that is the sum total of my camping experience. Until a couple of weeks ago. We met the family on Friday night and were pleased to find that we'd be camping in a cute little cabin--it even had air conditioning, which we didn't need or use.
Isn't it cute? Just perfect for a night of roughing it.
Audrey was so excited to see her cousins and hang out with them in Grammy and Grandpa's RV, or "Grandpa's bus," as she calls it.
Trumey was also happy to be out of the car and getting some attention.
Paige and Truman.
In the morning we dined on Grandpa's pancakes and bacon and then went to the campground's park. Audrey got to slide down a real slide! A tall metal one like when I was a kid. The kind that would give you a second degree burn if you weren't careful.
Mr. T hung out with Aunt Christin and Grammy and Megan.
Matt put him in the swing and he thoroughly enjoyed his first swinging experience.
He smiled and smiled and laughed and laughed.
After the park we drove into Leavenworth. It is the cutest little Bavarian town and I've been wanting to go for a few years.
Our little family.
After lunch Grammy treated everyone to a carriage ride through the town.
After a little shopping, looking at the art sale in the park, and the buying of lots of sweets, we rested under a tree and listened to some musicians while the kids rolled down the hill. (Ignore the random little boy on the left. He just joined in the fun.)
Finally, we had to pack up and head home. It was a fun little camping experience. I told Matt that I'd be willing to camp for a week in a cute little cabin if it had a kitchen and bathroom. I'd also like to go back to Leavenworth without the kids and do a little more shopping at the cute stores. It was a great weekend!
