I do love the fall. The cooling temperatures are such a welcome relief from the scorching summer heat. I love the changing scenery with the leaves making their move from green to varied hues of yellow, red, and brown.
A sure sign of fall for the girls is when the date of the family camp out is announced at church. They can hardly contain themselves as they wait for the day to come.
The thought of the family camp makes me smile. Maybe it's simply due to the fact that year after year we drag out our BIG tent (nick named the Taj Mahal because of its size) and go for a single night of camping. (This year as Tim and Jacob put the tent up Tim was heard to say, "I think I need a hack saw!" HAHAHAHA! One of these days we seriously need to downsize now that our family is decreasing.)
Maybe it makes me smile because we don't even rough it by cooking. We bring KFC or pizzas we picked up on the way. :) We do make smores so that has to count for something.
Maybe I smile because each year we barely sleep all night long just waiting for the sun to greet us and warm us. Then we spend the remainder of the day at home scouting for an opportunity to catch a NAP!
Maybe it makes me smile to think that we force ourselves to lay on the hard ground in our not warm enough sleeping bags (in serious need of replacing) wondering if we will be able to stand up in the morning due to every muscle in our bodies being strained and aching.
Maybe I smile as each year it is a reminder that we are not as young as we use to be.
Or maybe I smile because of the howling coyotes that were in the field just behind our tent that had those of us awake on edge! After they were long gone and the sun was rising up, Abigail whispered, "Mom! Mom!" Coming out of my cold induced mind fog I groaned, "What?" She said, "There's something walking behind our tent and I think it's a coyote!!" ...and I smiled.
Truth be told the camp out isn't that bad. Tim and I look forward to it simply because the kids do. They love sleeping in the tent, making smores over the fire and the best part is the next day....
We pack up all our things and when everyone else is gone Tim lets the kids drive the van in the big field where we camped. THAT is the real draw of the camp out.
And yes, it makes me smile. :)
2 comments:
Sounds like the fun was in the van driving, lol. Coyotes? wow, that would be so neat, they have such a mournful howl..
So much fun creating the family traditions that they will always remember, even if you remember more the aches and pains and work involved. Some day you will all be sitting around the table at a family gathering remembering these things and laughing and it will all be worth it!
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