Over labor day weekend, we decided to take our kids camping. We tried to get reservations a couple of weeks in advance, but missed our opportunity, everything was already reserved. So, in our attempt to try to have a fun family weekend, we decided to camp at Mt. Charleston, where the campsites are first come, first serve. I don’t especially enjoy packing up our small family to go on any overnight adventure. I think I could accurately say that I HATE it!! Camping proves to be even more despicable to me because of the endless amount of stuff and supplies that are necessary to pull it off. On Friday, Packing Day, I think I misplaced my Christlike virtues of patience and kindess somewhere between gathering the tons and tons of supplies and loading the tons and tons of supplies, five children, and the dog into the car. The kids and I decided to head up the mountain before Shane got home from work just to ensure that we weren’t doing all of this work for nothing and that we could secure a spot. We found a site that would do and started unloading and setting up the tent. We had just purchased a new tent and were excited to try it out. However, have you ever tried to set up a tent with 5 kids, a dog and an impatient Mother? It isn’t an easy task. Between the two year old running back and forth playing chase across the top of our new tent, trying not to get caught, the siblings trying to work ‘together’- deciphering the instructions ...and me, trying to keep our squabbles quiet enough so that the neighboring campers couldn’t hear us--- It wasn’t a pretty picture!! Needless to say, we ended up locking the screaming two year old in the car in her carseat..had a five year old in tears because he wasn’t big enough help... and overall succeeded in having a pretty miserable experience. Shane was due to arrive shortly after us, but was delayed because at the gas station, while looking for firewood, his car was hit by a lady who backed into him. In spite of this, he arrived happy and excited to have a fun weekend. Moods improved and things were looking up as we ate our tin foil dinners by the fire. A little while after it got dark, our little two year old tripped and fell and cut her chin open. What looked to be a cut that would for sure need stitches, later turned out to be questionable enough “wait and see’. Shortly after that -our new neighbors arrived!! They had brought a bunch of pallets to make a large bonfire in the fire pit, lots of alchohol and lots of friends. They were getting to work setting up camp as we were ready to go to bed for the night. We were all tired and had a hurt little girl that needed to go to sleep. Then, at about 10:45, long after quiet time, they decided to turn on some loud and explicit music to accompany their already loud and vulgar language. We layed there for about a half hour waiting to see if they would turn it down or off, when they didn’t, Shane went over and asked them to turn it down. They complied with the music, but continued to carry on until about 2:00 in the morning. Needless to say, we didn’t get much sleep. IOur brand new air mattress went FLAT too!!! As our kids began to wake up with the sun at 5:00 am- I lay there thinking about all of the things I could do to our special neighbors... accidentally set off my car alarm, blast country music all over the campsite, encourage my son to shoot his BB gun... and on and on. I refrained, but got up tired and irritated. Now, this is the point to my whole story.... After we made a dutch oven breakfast Shane decided that he would go and share the leftovers with our friendly nieghbors! I couldn’t believe it!! Here I was thinking of revenge and he decided to be Christlike and share!! Well, that turned me around very fast! Not only had his car been the one to get hit, he had to listen to me complain all night, had to get up and ask them to turn down the music and was still happily awake at 5:00am. I told him right then and there that he had earned a place in my talk today!! I think next time... I should stay home!!
There it is~!! Little cutie and her big red chin!!!
haha I loved that post. Totally reminds me of Josh & I. Heaven knows, I have work to do!
ReplyDeleteHugh & Peggy should be very proud of their children.
very funny and so timely. We were talking about going camping before it gets to cold, but I am so sure now that the Marriot will be the better choice. thanks for sharing, I laughed so hard.
ReplyDelete