For the past three years, our family has continued the tradition of going camping on the weekend before Thanksgiving with my sister and brother and their families. This year, we tried a new campground-- Martin Dies, Jr. State Park. Our campsite was right next to the water and was so pretty!
The entire camping weekend was VERY chilly, and we even had drizzly rain for a full day. So, needless to say, it wasn't our most comfortable camping trip ever, but thankfully the kids didn't complain at all about the weather. They just loved the chance to be outdoors and play with their cousins. The campfire was our best friend over the weekend! We never let it die out, even during the daytime, as we appreciated its warmth.
We enjoyed some great food together and quite a few comforting cups of hot chocolate.
Because our trip spanned over a Sunday, we held a time of worship together on Sunday morning. It's always a powerful experience worshiping our great Creator in the midst of His beautiful creation! We sang a few songs, prayed,
acted out the story of Pentecost,
and discussed the fruits of the Spirit by drawing emojis showing fruits of the Spirit (and their opposites!) on paper plates.
Most of the weekend was full of lots and lots of playtime for the kids. It's like a 3-day recess with cousins!
The cousins enjoyed being near the water,
finding a variety of hidden treasures,
having fun on the playground,
and jumping over construction barrels. Ha!
The girls did some art projects and coloring,
while the guys were busy playing LOTS of football.
The adults primarily tried to stay warm by the fire, but we did fit in a few board games.
The kids spent a lot of time in the woods-- playing a murder mystery type game and building nature forts.
The very last day of our stay, the rain tapered off, thankfully, and the weather warmed up a smidge. Yay! A group of adults, plus Abby and Adley, went on a geocaching adventure. We ended up finding 3 out of the 4 geocaches that we were seeking.
Unfortunately, halfway through our camping adventure, Ben came down with a fever, so he and Sarah had to go home. We missed them! Despite this sickness and the chilly temperatures, however, we would still say that our weekend was overall a success. The kids loved their time outdoors, and we always treasure the time with family!
