First camping of the Summer

You really have to love to camp to go camping! It really IS all about the kids. Todd decided that we should go camping right away after the kids got out of school. --Not the next day- but that very day! Actually, to be fair it was a family decision. The last day of school for our kids was a half day -Thursday after Memorial Day. I like to hang out with the kids on their last day to be with them for the paries, activities and goodbyes. So, I felt a little crazy getting ready --

By the time we got home Todd was already home off work. He had packed up most of the big camping stuff but I still needed to get the food, clothes ready. It had been a hectic week so I hadnt really started packing. We got in the door and everyone was exhausted. Brandon actually crashed on my bed for an hour while the other two hung around and I packed up clothes got the cooler ready and made tin foil dinners. Trevor and Christen helped some I must say. When Brandon woke up he said, "ok I will pack now!" He also was worried about his new middle school -"Mom, what will it be like?, what is the bus like (we have always carpooled) what about my friends?" Etc etc. He had shown no emotion at school that day but now it was all settling in. Poor kid. He will do great. There is a brand new middle school right near us and his scout and church friends will all be there.

Anyhow, we all got going, made a stop at Todd's folks for a piano lesson for Christen and then off we went. We went to Rampart and had a great time. The dogs and kids were in heaven. There was great fishing and the boys each caught two fish- we ate Trevor's for dinner and Brandon released his - but he did earn the fishing merit badge at least. There were huge pine trees to climb and Gma and Gpa E came for a picnic on Friday. We fished, hiked did smores, played games, etc etc. The weather was perfect and we slept well. Actually, we did decide we had outgrown our tent the first night with the kids getting bigger and the two dogs it was a little crowded so the second night we had the boys in Trevor's 2 man tent.

All in all it was very fun. Brandon is actually camping again at this very moment with the boy scouts at the Sand Dunes. I had to laugh when I got a call the other night that his pants were wet from playing in the creek and he didnt have any more. (he had packed some extra shorts and swim suit but it was colder the first day) I decided to rescue him and give another leader going up later his extra jeans. I should have just given him some of Christen's jeans. Apparently, Boy Scouts -at least 12 yr old are not ALWAYS prepared!!