We are home. Such a short little break but how wonderful we feel coming back again.
When you have been sleeping in a tent in 42 degree weather for several nights, you view your bed differently.
The unadulterated quiet also made us realize how frantic we tend to be. It was so nice to have no cell phone signal, or laptop access, or people knocking on our door. It was just us and God’s green earth. And, occasionally, the random neighbor camper or ever diligent park ranger.
Other than that we sometimes forgot to even check the time.
Oh, yeah. It’s probably time for lunch.
We walked, we hiked some pretty rugged trails, we read by the fire at night with a flashlight, we prayed, we laid and napped in the silence of our tent, and we learned a little bit more about what it means to stop moving and appreciate the breath God has given us.
We were also reminded of some of the muscles God intends for us to use on a more regular basis, but that is another story for another day.
It was so wonderful, even the freezing to death at night, because it just brought us closer as a family. We learned to depend on each other just a little more.
I hope your weekend will be a blessed one.
We are going camping.
For the first time in our eleven years of marriage.
One seasoned camper (me), another not-so-seasoned camper (my man), one avid cub scout age 9, a little girl age 7 who has just declared she can’t stand camping (she has never even been camping), and a little 4 year old of the male gender who hates walking. I mean really, really hates walking. Maybe I can bait him on our hikes by dangling a granola bar from the back of my pack.
What have we done.
It’s called breaking the old mold and getting out of a rut. Having a bit of adventure out there in the wilderness (the local state part that has actual potties), and learning what it means to go without a bath and shaving for a few days. The kiddos don’t shave so that wasn’t much incentive. Big whoop. But the part about not having to take baths kinda made them look a little excited. It was when I mentioned roasting marshmallows and reading the next book in the Narnia series inside the tent that got them all excited and bothered.
This could work after all.
Now, here’s hoping there are many laughs, lots of memories made, and not too many midnight trips down the dark, dark, dark hill to the loo.
See you on Monday. Have a blessed, warm and cozy and aren’t-you-grateful-you-have-a-bathroom-right-down-the-hall weekend.