In tents.

I’m sure you’ve seen this play on words, of course camping is in tents. It is the only way to go and can really be intense, especially with kids. Camping is one of our favorite things to do as a family.

We get to slow down and speed up at the same time. We get to relax on our schedule and do things when we want but we speed up our play and moving. The kids play from sun up to sun down and when we add in a hike or two they usually ask to go to bed early. It’s a time where we get to be messy and dirty. Most importantly, it’s when we can all grow a little closer together.

Our Camp…

Is our perfect home away home.

We have figured out a process in setting up camp that takes us just about an hour. He sets up the tents, I help when he needs a second set of hands and Emerson helps sometimes, too. I take care of the inside of the tents. We love our tent and it really is comfortable. The air mattresses, blankets and rugs make sleeping in the woods a little easier.

This was where we ran into our first challenge. Our air mattress had a fast leak. There was no way that Eric and I would get any sleep if we didn’t figure this out. So, we loaded up, headed to the nearest town and found a Walmart.

Hiking…

Is one of the reasons I love camping so much. It amazes me that we started adventuring like this when Emerson was one and we have not stopped since. We have carried each kid on our backs until they can handle a few miles on their own. Emerson now strides through five miles with minimal complaint.

I sometimes get asked, “What exactly do you do when you hike? Is it just walking through the woods looking at trees?” It is just walking through the woods and so much more. For me, it’s a way to move, feel inspired, renewed and accomplished. We get to see interesting things in nature, natural textures and colors, and wildlife. Mostly, it’s about the views, though.

It’s always about the views.

There are times where we share our passion for the great outdoors with others. On Saturday, my parents joined us for hiking and then my niece and nephew camped with us and were up for whatever we wanted to do.

(Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial is one of my favorites. The interactive homestead is amazing and it gives me some garden envy!)

Fishing…

Our first family fishing trip. The boys have been curious about fishing for a while so we bought some poles for our Memorial Day camping trip. They went and didn’t catch a thing. This time was different. Everyone’s very first cast brought in a big one. It was crazy exiting and fun for all of us.

We were lucky to have my nephew with us. He spent the majority of his time getting poles set up so we all could cast.

Our second challenge came from letting the kids watch a movie in the car and killing the battery. Thankfully, another camper heard our problem and offered to help.

I loved spending the weekend with these kiddos. I was beyond impressed that Ava and Emerson slept under the awning of our tent on cots. Elle found two new best friends in Ava and Jax and Rhys joined in on everything. Saying goodbye to Ava and Jax was hard for all of us.

On our finial night, our third challenge happened. It started raining right at dark and didn’t stop until morning for just a few hours. Everything was soaked and muddy. Thankfully, we loaded up while the rain had stopped.

This camping trip was fun because we hung out with family, celebrated a birthday and were not defeated by our challenges.

When you think of your days as adventures it makes the intense parts a little easier to handle.

Remember, it’s always about the view,

-Jill

On our drive home the boys started talking about what farm animal they would be.

“I want to be the farm dog so I can make sure everything is safe.” Rhys, 5