camping

Remember how much I love camping? Well, my husband has been asking ever since that night to go camping. I kept saying I was willing to give it a try, but I kept having trouble actually committing to it. Well, we finally went last weekend.

For the most part, it was better than I had expected. Rachel loved it and my husband had a good time, so I'm glad we went. My attitude was good (I was worried that I'd be grumpy and spoil it for everyone), and most of it went better than I had hoped. Rachel loved the campfire, loved cooking hotdogs, making s'mores, and just sitting watching the fire, and LOVED being in the tent. While she was eating her hotdog (which was peeled because there was too much black stuff on it!), she was grinning from ear to ear and declaring over and over, "This is a great camping trip!"

My biggest concern was for sleep--I haven't been sleeping well lately at all. I slept, but not great--Rachel didn't go to sleep until after 10 (we went in the tent and got ready for bed around 8:30--she was BEGGING us to go to bed! But then she was so excited about her sleeping bag and glow stick Daddy had bought her that it took her FOREVER to settle down. He and I went out and sat at the campfire for awhile thinking she'd settle down better if we weren't in there, but she continued to sing and talk in bed. Finally we went in around 10 and she went to sleep soon after.) I checked my watch at 11:30 and I was still awake, but fell asleep sometime soon after that. But Rachel woke up several times in the night, so it was very interrupted sleep. At 3:30 she got out of bed (she NEVER gets out of bed) and was cold and wanted to get in with us. I told her no--we've never done that and didn't want to start--but I moved her bed over right next to ours, got her in her sleeping bag (she didn't stay in it very well, which is why she was cold) and put an extra blanket on her and that seemed to do it. She slept for the rest of the night after that. I had taken two tylenol PMs, so I was able to go back to sleep easily each time, so that was good.

At 6:30 she woke up, so I left to get my shower and Daddy entertained her with her glow stick some more, which amazingly was still glowing! When I was coming back from my shower, he and she were on their way up to find me, so we switched and he went to take his shower and I took her back and got her dressed. By that time it was light. When Daddy got back we started making breakfast. Rachel had several meltdowns that morning--it was cold and she hadn't gotten enough sleep. After we got everything put away and the tent down and packed up around 10, we left and went for a short hike at a nearby cave. We hiked a little, had an early lunch, and drove back home. Got back just in time for naptime. We all took much needed naps.

All in all it was a successful trip. The weather was perfect (though a bit cold...I'd rather be cold in a tent than hot, though!) and it was so fun watching my two favorite people enjoy themselves so much.

Here are a few pictures from our adventure.