Camping!

We took the boys camping this weekend for the first time.  What took us so long...we had a blast!  Well, I guess we were waiting for them both to be out of pack & plays, and to get a tent big enough for all of us (thanks Granny & Pop Pop for the new tent!).  We will have to do it again soon - it was very fun.  We camped in the Shenandoah National Park (one of our favorite places on Earth), at Loft Mountain Campground (in site D 82, if you care).  The Appalachian Trail basically circles the entire campground, which made for some good hiking Saturday and Sunday.

Yeah for our new tent! The boys loved playing in the porch.  And here's the inside - so roomy!

Here's a gorgeous view from our walk along the Appalachian Trail to pick up firewood.

And here are my sweet boys at the start of our Sunday hike.

And it wouldn't be camping without yummy food - spaghetti anyone?

And what better way to start the morning than with a cup of coffee (hot cocoa for the kids) by the fire?  Followed of course with eggs, bacon, and donuts :)

So there you have it - our camping trip in a nutshell.  The boys are already asking when we can go again!

As I was setting up our tent, I was reminiscing about the many camping trips I've had in my life.  Just stepping into that tent and inhaling the mix of scents - new tent, campfire smoke, and fresh air - took me back to many fond memories.  In addition to the many camping adventures as a child, I camped fairly often as an adult.

To celebrate graduation from high school, my 3 best friends and I towed a pop-up camper to Point Beach on the Lake Michigan coast.  We arrived and managed to back the camper into our site (not easy) only to realize we didn't bring the key to open the door!  I believe I picked the lock with a barrette and we were in business!  We sunbathed on the beach, swam in the frigid water, and roller bladed around camp (yes!  that memory just came to me as I was typing!!).  Just a week with Sarah, Heather, Nicole and I - 3 best friends a girl could have (and still true today)!

In college, we got several girls together to drive from Taylor to Edisto Beach to camp for spring break.  The mini van (Ruth's parents') broke down when we were almost to our destination - we somehow hitched a ride to the campground, but were too early to check in.  So we laid out our tarp, plopped all our gear down on it, and sat around until we could get to our site.  We were there for quite a while, singing songs (thanks to Steph and her guitar).  We camped for the week without a car (while it was in the shop getting a new transmission, I believe).  That was over 10 years ago and I'm looking forward to seeing these ladies again at our next reunion in a couple weeks!!

I guess you could say I'm a happy camper. :)