Kara Goes Camping

Well, Maggie Moo is in bed, Dylan is fixing the disposal (because I stuffed it full of potato skins from dinner and now it won't drain).  Never a dull moment around here.  I know you are just dying to hear about my camping trip, right?  Keep reading.

I guess camping technically started when I started packing my stuff on Thursday and Friday.  I looked at Dylan's small pack, where he put an extra pair of clothes and some socks, maybe a sweatshirt, and a flashlight.  Hmm.  Surely that is not enough.  But I went to packing my stuff.  I tend to over-pack.  My mom always taught me to bring extra clothes "In case you fall in the lake or something!"  Well, I never have fallen in the lake, but I have had those extra clothes come in handy; and I figured you never know what could happen going camping!  And since the weather here is so crazy, I packed for extreme cold and humid weather.  My bag was bulging by the time I was finished, but at least I felt prepared.  Arriving Friday night, the camp sight was filled with people.  Let me tell you, finding your group in the dark isn't easy!

"Is that Jenny?  I think that is Jenny!  Jenny!  Jenny!....Oooops!  Sorry, I thought you were Jenny!"

You get the idea.  We drove around for a while and finally found our crew.  We sat by the fire, ate, talked, and enjoyed the cool air.  We set up our tent, and were a little surprised that it didn't look quite as big as it did in our living room.  Our air mattress definitely wasn't going to fit.  To say the least, it was interesting sleeping on the ground;  next time we are going to have a bigger tent to fit at least a queen size air mattress, or maybe some cots.  Saturday breakfast was a dutch oven style breakfast casserole that was yummy!  More time of relaxing with friends around the fire, and even venturing into the town for a trip to the Piggly Wiggly to pick up some items for the group.  It was a very fun weekend; we were very very tired when we got home, but had a great time.  All in all, I would go again, and I'm glad that I went.  I learned that camping does NOT look like it does in the Eddie Bauer magazine ads.  No one wore flannel.  Pretty much everyone wore old clothes that barely matches.  No one looks dirty or dusty in these ads.  Everyone looks dusty camping.  I saw no scarves blowing fashionably in the breeze like in the magazine, or jeans tucked neatly in leather boots.  Those scarves would have surely got caught in the campfire and set the camper ablaze; and old tennis shoes were sported more than boots.  But I didn't really miss it being like the magazine pictures.  I had a great time being in nature with my husband and friends, spending time together and praising the Lord for what He has made.  I hope you guys had a great weekend, too.  See you later alligator.

P.S.  I didn't need 95% of what I packed for camping.  It ended up being unpacked and put away when I got home.  But I'm glad I had it.  Just in case I fell in the lake or something.  :)