A Camping We Will Go

"When through the woods and forest glades I wander and hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees; When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur and hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze; Then sings my soul, My Savior God to Thee, How great Thou art!  How great Thou art!"  Carl G. Boberg

We are preparing to go camping for the next four days.  No, let me rephrase that...I'm getting us ready to go camping for the next four days.  The kids are more than willing to help when I can collect them and get them focused.  Oh, I remember the days when the pull to play was so strong you could feel it physically.  That and the need to complain when Mom asks you to do something.  Of course, they all want to go camping really badly and I must admit that I too would like to get away.  So, we keep plugging away and keep packing the van and replacing batteries and such.

We weren't able to go camping last year due to pneumonia flowing freely in mine and my husband's bodies, so this year we are really looking forward to pitching a tent in the great outdoors.  The kids are two years older now and I think we are going to really enjoy this time together.  My youngest is still to little to move around and  this will be a distinct advantage for me.  I can strap him to me and there he'll stay.  

I appreciate the children's excitement and this helps me to plow through the not so fun stuff in regards to packing and getting it all to fit into the van.  Of course, it would help if my three year old didn't climb on top of all the rolled sleeping bags to relax and end up causing them all to come cascading out of the van.  Is that a smirk I see on his face?  Yes, it's a smirk and not fear.  Oh, he needs to be afraid, very afraid...of me strapping him to the roof.  

If all goes well and the baby handles the weekend, I'm hoping we can do it again before the weather turns.  It isn't unheard of for winter to arrive in August in our neck of the woods.  Thankfully, nothing but heat and clear skies throughout the weekend.  

I'm off to tackle finish the rest of my list so that we can head into the mountains with the morning rays.  Have a wonderful weekend.

"It is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful."  Brother David Steindl-Rast