Why Camping Is a Necessity

If anyone has been around me for any amount of time for the past few months, you may have noticed some pretty tight strings pulled almost to the point of breaking. Surprisingly, one weekend of camping has done wonders for my "eight day clock."

Here's my 10 reasons why camping is a necessity these days.

10) We can actually afford it.
We already had our camping gear, so that is not a cost. We had to buy food, be we would have to do that anyway. We camped on National Forest Service land, it is free. We had to buy firewood (which we didn't plan ahead, so it was more than it should have been- lesson learned). And gas to get us there and back. That's it!

9) Calories don't count when you are camping.
Speaking of buying food:  I'll admit it, I tend to buy more treats like soda and candy when we are camping. We didn't go crazy on it, but it's ok. The calories can't find you when you are out in the wilderness.

8) We had a natural lullaby.
I slept so good. We camped right by a stream. There is nothing better than hearing the rushing stream as you drift off to sleep. And I know it's a cliche but the fresh air does wonders for sleep problems. (Of course, it's a bonus that all the kids are old enough to take themselves to the bathroom, I don't need to accompany them on the dark trek to the loo.)

7) I get to just "be."
How often can you just sit and do nothing without being bombarded with worries about everything that needs to be done? When you are camping, all that matters is the immediate needs. What a great way to leave stress behind.

6) No one is "watching" me.
This kind of goes along with the last one. I didn't even bring make-up or hair stuff with me. I brought toothpaste and toothbrush and a hairbrush and a hat. I walked around in camp in my PJ's when I felt like it. I let the kids be dirty and snack and run and play. It was a great feeling to know there was no one there to judge me. I was just me.

5) Our family was unplugged without a fight.
Normally, my role at home is the electronic police. I get so tired of telling the kids to get off the computer, turn off the tv, put the tablet away. We didn't have any electronics with us. (Actually, MaryLynn brought her gameboy along. She didn't play it except a tiny bit at night. She did bring it to the lake and wanted to play it instead of getting wet. I stopped that by telling her I would throw it in the lake if she turned it on again. I would have done it and she knew it. She turned it off.) There was no internet access, no 3G, no cell service. It was heaven!

4) No gym needed.
Even though I enjoyed sitting still, the cool thing about camping is that you have to move. The kids ran and played all day long everyday. I promise you our 9 month old puppy grinned the entire weekend. He got to run free and even found a buddy in the next campsite to romp with. (He was dirty, dirty, dirty, but there was no one around to judge me for that either.) We hiked, played in the lake, chopped wood, cooked dinner, cleaned up, played games . . . Wow! we actually moved our bodies.

3) A wonderful way to spend our 22nd Wedding Anniversary.
We tend to slip into an easy life of doing what needs to be done and forget about each other. Camping brought us together as a team. We worked side by side to set up camp, start fires, cook meals, clean up the meals, hike together, play games, and break camp. We remembered how good it feels to be one. Happy Anniversary, Honey.

2) I have a confession.
I HATE to cook and (only slightly less well known, is this one:) I don't like cleaning up either. However, I actually enjoyed both on our camping trip. There was nothing else that needed to be done, and I could just enjoy the experience. I didn't bother the kids to help. They were enjoying their fun together. My husband and I did the cooking and cleaning together. It reminded me that these actions are service to my family, one way I can show my love for them. (Maybe we should have hot dogs and pita pizzas all the time.)

1) It is the ultimate game of Hide-and-seek.
One of the kids favorite things to do on our camping trip is to play different versions of hide and seek. Guess who I was hiding from? All of you! Not literally, but I couldn't get a phone call, email, text, or facebook message. I couldn't get caught up on facebook. I couldn't get buried under my mound of junk mail that needs to be deleted everyday. I couldn't see my house and feel frustrated at everything that will never be done. No one could find me. It was a weekend of freedom.

Yes, it was all waiting for me when we got home. We are back to normal life. In fact, as I type this, I'm sure my kids are sneaking into the TV room to watch netflix hoping I won't catch them. I've checked my email three times during as I composed this blog. I had to take a break to rotate the MOUNDS of laundry we brought home.


 However, for now, I may have learned some things. I'm running out the door right now to take my kids to a movie! I'll come back later to finish and add photos. My kids are waiting!

Do You Need a New Bra?

I was so excited to spend this weekend with my sisters and my mom, for our scheduled, girl's weekend. We did lots of girly stuff including shopping for a new bra. 

My sister mentioned that she had never been measured. At my mom's urging, she stepped forward and the sales associate measured her.
"Looks like you measure a D or double D."
"What?" my sister pointed at her chest and said, "These aren't D's." The associate just smiled and said, "Give it a try." 
She did, and was shocked at the transformation in the mirror. My sister then checked the old stretched-out bra she had taken off and burst out laughing. "I've been wearing an A cup!"


Why am I telling you this story? My sister has been wearing the same size bra since she was a teenager, never mind that she has lived a life including the birth and nursing of three boys. She got caught up in doing the same thing she had always done. She forgot that things change, sometimes you have to stop and measure. 


What has been the same too long in your life? Just because you have always done it that way, should you stop and consider a different way? Are you letting yourself feel squeezed and misshapen just because it has always been that way? 

Stop, take a measurement. You might be surprised!