We have spent the last three days here at this beautiful campground with friends and have been having a wonderful time. There has been lots of laughing, lots of teamwork on meals and child watching, lots of campfire sitting and story telling and s'more making and all of the things that make camping one of my favorite things to do.
The Sherrell's kids are close in age to ours, and they have been together the entire time. Sophia even slept with us in our camper one night. Last night that was the plan again until the day's activities caught up to the kids and they all collapsed out of exhaustion around the fire. We had a chance to take them swimming yesterday because the weather got super warm-- much improved from the 60's we were seeing on Friday. So I think the combo of swimming, sun, bike riding and perhaps a bit of sugar led to their bedtime change of plans last night.
We had some special visitors-- Mom and Freda made a run over the mountain on Friday evening and had a sausage sandwich with us. And Libby and Zig and the girls came on Saturday. We all loved seeing them and had a great time together. My kids were asking for Brooke and Hayden all day yesterday.
Toby is, I believe, the celebrity of this campground. Honestly, we were expecting a difficult trip with him since this is his first experience camping. He has done well here- very little barking, good eating, no accidents in the camper, and super friendly with other people and dogs, all of which have wanted to meet him and play with him. He has eaten a ton of grass and dirt, as well as a spot of heaven in the grass that we have referred to as his "bacon grass" where Marc had dumped some bacon drippings from a breakfast he made. Suffice it to say that Toby thinks Marc is awesome and he has gone back to that spot time and again to see if maybe, just maybe, there is more where the initial supply came from. He has slept well in his crate and cried when he had to go out-- exactly like he does at home. We have all be very pleased with how this has gone.
We have two more trips planned this summer with the Sherrells- July 4th weekend to Nemacolin (our "glamping" weekend where Kara and I have every intention of enjoying a massage at the spa one day) and then a Labor Day weekend trip to a KOA in Watkins Glen, NY. The connection between our two families is a bizarre one- and we have talked at length about how strange it is that a camping partnership has developed out of meeting them when they bought our house on Greenbriar when they were moving to PA from West Virginia. Our realtor (who was also theirs) was so upset that Kara and I had wanted to talk on the phone about the area, but that phone call has truly been a catalyst for a very special friendship. I love how God works things out. And now the shared connection at church and school and everything else has just continued to grow. We have had a wonderful weekend. I cannot honestly say I am looking forward to all of the work that goes along with coming home from camping, but I am feeling refreshed and relaxed and ready to tackle the few short weeks that remain in Joshua's school year.
And now...the people are rising. The campground is starting to bustle with activities-- dogs coming outside, coffee pots brewing, fires starting for breakfasts to be cooked. All sounds and smells that remind me of being a kid, of family time together that I cherish far more now than I probably did then, of all of the things I want our kids to remember when they are older. This is the good stuff and I am so grateful for such a wonderful weekend.
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