Our camping experience

I had forgotten how tired one can be after camping! I think our "age" is showing now! We had beautiful weather, a cool evening, LOVED the campfire & family time! We went to bed at a decent hour but didn't sleep very well. We had one air mattress that Matthew slept on (that leaked out some air during the night, poor guy). Eddie & I slept on ...twin mattresses from Matthew's bed!!! I forgot my camera or we'd have had pictures of our suburban packed tight! We are not "light packers" even for one night of camping.
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We had a nice supper of hamburgers, chips & baked beans, followed by weinies over the fire & S'MORES! The highlight of our trip plans! It was cooling off nicely so I didn't mind cooking with my cast iron skillet on the gas grill from the Hagermans! (THANKS again, y'all!) Matthew & I had gotten enough wood from my parents' wood pile for one good load. I didn't realize how fast an open fire would burn. It was 6:30p (too early to go to bed) & we really wanted a fire for alittle longer...so we made the trip back into town for more firewood!! (THANKS again, Mom & dad!!!) While we were at her house, we tried to console our German Shepherd who was spending the night with Mema...We now know she has seperation anxiety...She was so happy to see us & caused more grief before our trip was over. Bless her heart. Well in our trek for more firewood, we swapped vehicles at our house, accidently leaving our "goodies" in the suburban (at home). We had put the food stuff away to avoid returning to any wild life who might've been hungry...Well, when we returned with more firewood...we were missing our S'mores ingredients, weinies AND our flashlights!!!! How disappointed we were! I had given Matthew the food bag & the flashlights as we were leaving so "we" accidently left them in the Suburban when we got the van!!! Oh Noooo! Naturally, we HAD to give Matthew a hard time about not transferring our goodies from the suburban...I kept mentioning how 'I sure would like to have a marshmellow'!!!!!!! LOL Poor guy would swat at me or give me 'the look' when I was teasing him. Luckily we had already had one round of them before our fire got too low the first time, so I guess it kept us from being gluttons the rest of the night.
We settled in & even had a family reading time. Eddie & I are both reading the Left Behind series (Eddie's second go-round) and Matthew had a book to read. We had brought a lamp from our bedroom (told ya we were wimpy campers) so we had a light to read by...especially good since we forgot to re-bring the flashlights! LOL It was great family time. I think I heard every leaf fall from the tree above & land on the tent. I was enjoying the quiet of the State Park but just couldn't stay asleep. At first, there were 2 owls hooting at each other. Matthew said that was his favorite sound. But they evidently left...waaah! I didn't realize what a noisey sleeper Matthew was. Between groaning, talking & snoring in his sleep, (& I was right next to him)...I feel like somebody has beat me!
We were going to get up, fry eggs & potatoes & take our time packing up but got the call that our beloved dog was up to no good (again) at my parents house! Ugh! So we had to go round her up & take her home. Eddie & I went back to pack up...
What did we learn??? We now feel more re-oriented to putting up a tent, banking a fire when you have to leave it but want coals to come back to...we need an airmattress for Eddie & me (with a blowup 'headboard' to keep our pillows on the bed!...=)...don't forget the food stuff & flashlights when leaving camp & coming back...don't eat Lentils & rice the night before & then have baked beans the night of camping in a tent with 3 people...LOL!!! Also, we'll have to bring the dogs or have a 'sitter' at our house for the dogs...Ginger just doesn't do well when away from home...
We are so Thankful for a nice get-away, even for just a night...Thankful for our family & extended family...
We ask any readers for prayer for the Hagerman family who are on their way to Paraguay as we speak! They were leaving this morning to be Missionaries. We're slightly envious, taming the green monster...We hope the Lord will prepare us & take us some where we can be of good use for Him & a Blessing to others!
Maybe our camping experiences will prepare us to make due with what we have so we're better acclimated to not sleeping in our nice bed, etc. Use us, Lord!!!
All of this typed after a 2-hour nap...hehe...