A first happened for my daughter this weekend. Her first camping trip. She was ecstatic!!! For years, my husband has had an annual camping trip with a group of his lifelong friends. He and my oldest son have always made the trip. In recent years, our youngest son has tagged along as well, but never our daughter. She felt like she had been asked to join the boy's club. My husband had even asked me to travel along to make it a big family affair. The plans were set!!! Then the unexpected happened! I woke up with a terrible ear infection. I was to be my baby girl's sleep mate on her first camping trip. An ear infection could not disrupt the plan! So I did what any good mother would do.... I had some meds called in, I put on my big girl britches, and I took it for the team! My Daddy likes to say, "you just bow up" so I bowed up!!
I was not such a trooper that I lasted for all the camping activities. I turned in early and missed out on the late night campfire chat. After the night's sleep, I told my husband that trying to sleep on a pallet in the back of our SUV, with a raging ear infection, might possibly have been the hardest thing I had done in a while. So no, I was not a happy camper for the whole trip. I did not feel well at times, but I enjoyed being with my family and catching up with our friends. And our baby girl really enjoyed playing in the creek, chasing after her brothers and the others, s'mores around the campfire and a good game of hide and go seek.
On my way home (alone and leaving early) I felt triumphant that I had suffered through til morning. I could not wait to make it home, shower, eat and rest. When the fam came in a few hours later, they found me and the dog cuddled up on the couch. They had stayed longer to float the creek one last time. The children were stinky and wore slap dab out from all the outdoor activity. They (including my husband) found their spot to nap, and they were out in no time flat! As I sat listening to my husband snore from the floor, I glanced over at my youngest son all curled up in the chair, and I thought to myself how nothing about the camping trip was as I imagined. Due to the intrusion of the ear infection I was not the happiest of campers. But you know what??? I have heard it said that happiness is dependent upon happenings or circumstances, but joy takes place inside of you. I rested in complete joy for the remainder of the day as the hard night from before slipped away.
I was not such a trooper that I lasted for all the camping activities. I turned in early and missed out on the late night campfire chat. After the night's sleep, I told my husband that trying to sleep on a pallet in the back of our SUV, with a raging ear infection, might possibly have been the hardest thing I had done in a while. So no, I was not a happy camper for the whole trip. I did not feel well at times, but I enjoyed being with my family and catching up with our friends. And our baby girl really enjoyed playing in the creek, chasing after her brothers and the others, s'mores around the campfire and a good game of hide and go seek.
On my way home (alone and leaving early) I felt triumphant that I had suffered through til morning. I could not wait to make it home, shower, eat and rest. When the fam came in a few hours later, they found me and the dog cuddled up on the couch. They had stayed longer to float the creek one last time. The children were stinky and wore slap dab out from all the outdoor activity. They (including my husband) found their spot to nap, and they were out in no time flat! As I sat listening to my husband snore from the floor, I glanced over at my youngest son all curled up in the chair, and I thought to myself how nothing about the camping trip was as I imagined. Due to the intrusion of the ear infection I was not the happiest of campers. But you know what??? I have heard it said that happiness is dependent upon happenings or circumstances, but joy takes place inside of you. I rested in complete joy for the remainder of the day as the hard night from before slipped away.