dirt, exhaustion, and 20 loads of laundry

When we go on vacation with our kids, we go camping.  We make an effort to go at least once a year, sometimes 3 or 4 times, if we can.  Our kids have never been to Disneyland (and they remind us of this often).  They have never flown anywhere in a plane (another thing they remind us of often).  They've never been to any 6 Flags Park or Knott's Berry Farm, or any amusement park, for that matter.  (I know, we are such neglectful parents.)  But I'll be honest: I don't think my kids are missing out on a thing!

Vacation, for my husband and me, has always been about spending time with our kids, creating memories with them that will last forever.  And you know what?  We've already accomplished that.  On the way to the campground our kids, full of excitement, started remembering the times when we went camping on the beach and when we went to visit Uncle Mike while camping in our trailer.  They remembered the campground we were headed to because they have been there many times with their cousins.

The week before we head out to camp, we open up the trailer and start packing everything in.  Now the nice thing about a trailer is that pretty much everything is already in it.  We
just add clothing and food. I start my many trips between the house and the trailer and the kids just sit out in it and play with the toys they haven't seen for a year because they've been stored in the trailer.  They want to eat snacks out there.  They get excited because they see me packing the mini cereal boxes containing cereal WITH sugar in it!  Oh joy!! 

We head out the campground and the ride there is pretty good.  We rock out to the kids music.  They talk about who's going to be there and what the campground is like. We break into a few of the "camping" snacks. We check out stuff on the road: the numerous cows and horses, interesting restaurants, and neat little cabins that we'd like to stay in some day.  Then we arrive!

Fruit Loops - yum!

Whose kid is this?!

This trip we met a bunch of friends at the campground. Everyone had kids who were similar in age.  Nobody seemed left out at any time.  The kids played in the dirt, walked down the hill to the games and playground, played catch, rode their scooters, and played some more in the dirt.  The adults sat around eating, playing dominoes and dice, chatted, getting to know each other better, and ate some more.  (I have to give kudos here: since it was Mother's Day weekend, the men created the most amazing breakfast for us on Sunday morning.  I don't know about the rest of the moms, but I was SUPER impressed!)  By the time we were ready to leave, we were all a bit sad.  Although most of us were from our small town and would see each again in the next week, it's just not the same as living one campsite over from each other where you could yell, "Hey gal, come have a cup of coffee with me!"

As we head back home, the kids usually take a nap while my husband and I chat about the enjoyable weekend.  We come home dirty and tired with an entire truck and trailer to unload.  But the memories; the memories are what make it all worth it.  We're ready to go again!  (Well, after I do a few loads of laundry... okay, more like 20 loads!)

So here's my point: I used to feel bad about not taking my kids to some great amusement park or on an amazingly expensive vacation.  (And believe me, if we could afford it, we probably would do those things.)  But looking at our years of camping and the great big huge fun we have all had together, I don't feel bad anymore.  I decided a few years back that I wanted to create lasting memories with my kids.  I try to be very purposeful about this in our family's life.  And when we camp, we create memories, we create relationships, we build up our family with the time we spend together.  That, to me, is worth the dirt, the exhaustion, and the 20 loads of laundry.

KC