Monday, July 7, 2008

I Love Camping

At least I thought I did. We bought a tent, sleeping bags, a lantern, a Coleman cooking stove, all the best stuff years ago with the intention that we would be campers. We wanted to retreat to the quiet of nature and explore with our daughters all the wonders there are to be found.

We went camping this past week (yes, I said "week") in South Carolina at Hartwell Lake. We met my sister and her husband and several of their friends who have huge, plush RV's so I was excited that we had some backup for our first camping venture. I love my sister, her husband, her baby and her friends. You wouldn't believe the food they cook and eat when camping. Smoked chicken, ribs, wings, pancakes, eggs, biscuits and sausage every morning. My sister and her husband took great care of us. But camping wasn't quite the romantic ideal I had in my mind. The sites were tight and we barely had room for our tent. Now I will say that Big Sister LOVED camping. She can't stop talking about it. Little Sister, on the other hand, heard the word "NO!" all day, every day. As in, "No! Don't eat that!" or "No, don't touch that!" or "No, don't stick that in the fire!" We had a lot of laughs but there were some challenges along the way. I learned a few things over the course of those few days. Here are just 10 of them...

1. Camping is not fun when you have a fever.
2. When you have a fever, an air conditioned RV comes in handy.
3. When you need to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, an air conditioned RV comes in handy.
4. When the kids are bored, an air conditioned RV with Direct TV (no, I'm not kidding) comes in handy.
5. When your 2 year old is begging for a nap at noon, an air conditioned RV comes in handy.
6. When your 2 year old is begging for a nap at noon, mama has to stay behind while everyone else goes out on the boat swimming, fishing, and exploring...every day.
7. When your 2 year old is begging for a nap at noon and mama stays behind while everyone else goes out, it's the only time there is actually quiet.
8. In the dark of night, lying in a tent, nature is LOUD!
9. When you go camping, you must embrace the dirt. Thank God for it, because it will cover your children, your clothes, your food...everything. Uncle Pete really embraced it by wearing the same outfit every day. I'm pretty sure we will end up throwing away Big Sister's bathing suit.
10. They don't allow fireworks at state parks, not even on the 4th of July.

I learned so much more but I'll stop there. Notice there are no pictures from this trip. Remember what I said about the dirt? And the fever? We'll do it again though...someday.

10 comments:

Welcome to our crazy blessed life said...

Bobby is not a fan of camping. We have been once, 6 years ago for 1 night. He did go once with his old band for one night. They froze and came home really early in the morning.
Your post made me laugh even though I do feel bad for some of the things you learned. Next time will be better, right? :)

Montee said...

I remember all of our camping adventures. Dad started out with a tent. Had some good times in that tent but when you had to go to the bathroom.....not good for a girl. If it would rain, there was panic. "DON'T TOUCH THE SIDES OF THE TENT!" Then dad graduated to a camper. We would camp in Gatlinburg, at the same campground each year, beside a stream. Found a "boyfriend" there one year and cried when we left. Never heard the end of that from Jody and Jeff. Then there was our trip to Disnaey and camping along the way. Oh, my! You know, I need to write about this on my blog. I am glad Y'all made it home safely. You will have good memories even when things did not seem good at the time.

Jennifer said...

Camping is just not my thing. I love to go there as long as I don't have to sleep there. It's all fun until you wake up the next morning, you're dirty, there's no shower, and you can't move because you're too sore from sleeping on the ground. I'd be in the A/C'ed RV! Sorry you had a fever.

Anonymous said...

Who had the fever? I am SO sorry if you got it from us...
--Julie

Susan said...

You crack me up Tracy! :) I loved this post. I wish we had known your tip before we took that camping trip back in June- an air conditioned RV WOULD have come in handy. :) So sorry someone had a fever- uugh and with the heat too.

Tracy Brothers said...

I'm actually the one who had the fever (102). I napped with Little Sister in the air conditioned RV during the day. That night I was on that air mattress in that tent and all I could think was that I wanted to go home. Thank God I woke up feeling like a different person. A person who could suck it up for a couple of more days.

carriehayes said...

i cannot think of anywhere worse to be with a 102 temp. i am glad that it went away for you. we were just talking about taking Hayden somewhere for just one night. it may just have to be someone's backyard. oh by the way, my mom grew up by Lake Hartwell.

Anonymous said...

Here's a visual of our RV for everyone who is reading.... haha...I agree the A/C always comes in handy, especially in the midst of the summer! :) Love you, had a great time!

[IMG]http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m81/ErinJShaw/000_0090.jpg[/IMG]

Anonymous said...

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m81/ErinJShaw/000_0090.jpg

that pic didn't come through...i'll try again

Jason said...

To camping with an RV I say, "Right On!"