"Mom Camping"

The husband is a camper.  When I think of camping, 3 things happen:  I have visions of outhouses, strung with webs of wolf spiders; I get a whiff of those outhouses; and I get hit with feelings of claustrophobia from being in a cramped, stuffy tent.  I camped growing up, and somehow, this is what I remember the most.  (Sorry to my parents!).

I was asked to go "Mom Camping" by some friends.  Well, the husband overheard the invitation, and got really excited.  Not one to disappoint, I agreed.   I was up for the challenge!  "Mom Camping" is just that, no dads.  Just Moms.  And kids.  Lots of kids.  

All loaded up for 2 days of woodsy fun! 

I got a crash course the night before...the ins and outs of tent erection and the proper way to use a Therma-Rest.  I felt ready.  But...the Day 1 of camping forecasted some tricky weather.  A storm was expected, and gale-force winds made setting up the tents very challenging (we were unloading and setting up tents while keeping a watchful eye on the 9 children we have between us).  Thankfully, I was in great hands.  My seasoned camping friends were champs at driving stakes into the ground!

We were fortunate to land 3 sites in a row, on a peninsula, with Big Sandy Lake on one side, and Sandy River on the other.

We had a Camp Host.  I never did catch his name, but he made rounds to check on us, deliver firewood, refill our water container, and pass out gumballs to the kids!

Each mom took a turn preparing a meal.  It was like a vacation!  Minimal cooking and cleanup, and the food was great!

The campground not only had showers and flush toilets (and one of the cleanest public restrooms I have ever been in), it also had 2 impessive parks.  

Ellie and the babies of the group, Lauren and Nora.  

Audrey and William with the necessities.

The first evening was rainy, so we retreated to our tents early, but the second night we had a great campfire, lots of marshmallow-roasting, and s'mores.

This was my kids first camping experience.  Audrey and William slept well both nights in the tent, but Nora had a hard time settling down.  It was her first night *ever* not in her crib or pack-and-play.  All in all, I think she did very well, and less-than-restful nights certainly did not slow her down during the day!!!

~peaceful, finally~

All 9 children (only 2 boys!)

Many thanks to my fellow Moms, Melissa (super mother of 4, who has everything conceivable to make camping a success, all tucked away in well organized bins!); and Jen (sweet as can be who helped me with my girls and loved on little Nora)!

Thanks for a great time!  All 3 kids had a blast!  My outlook on camping has changed so much that we already have a family camping trip planned!!!