Camping 101

I realized I haven't told our camping story yet. Nick isn't (wasn't) much of a camper. I've been talking about going camping since Ella was born (yes, six years now), but he's never been excited about the follow-through. Nick & I have camped together once - about 8 years ago. When we talked about going to Moab over his school break, he was envisioning

g staying in a condo. Then, I broke the news we were camping - with another set of two year old twins. We've known the Sikorskis since we were both young newlyweds & Hogan met (herded) Cocoa at a dogpark. If there was going to be a second camping trip, I knew I needed lots of moral support to make this an enjoyable experience for everyone.

The trip started a bit shaky because we did not do our homework & scout a back up camp site. My car got a flat tire (thanks to our garage cleaning a stray nail punctured the tire) so we got a late start. When we arrived in Moab, it looked like there was going to be a parade. The streets were lined with middle-aged people sitting in lawn chairs. It was like a reunion from Fort Lauderdale 1957. We had stumbled upon a very popular auto-show. All the campgrounds were full, most hotels were full. The kids were tired & cranky. We had no cell phone reception to connect with our co-campers. A hotel it was! We lucked out with a two-room cabin. The kids LOVED sleeping together in the living room. It was the cutest thing to hear the Quads talking in the morning about where they were.

After a pancake breakfast, we searched for a campsite & found the best spot. The boys took off for a bike ride (would you believe Nick had NEVER been to Moab?) Kari loaded 6 carseats in the minivan & we took off for our own adventure. Believe it or not, it can be a bit overwhelming to think about venturing out with the twins & Ella. I think it was easier having the six kids because for the most part, they stayed happy & entertained. Virtually no fits. It was heaven!

Unfortunately, mother nature wasn't interested in cooperating with us. A HUGE storm blew through with amazing winds & rain (then the tears started because there was a lot of sand blowing). We were worried our tents would be gone. It took Nick 30 years to get to Moab & 8 years to camp again, I wasn't going to give up. We bundled the kids & started cooking diner. By the time the guys finished their ride, the skies were clear.

We had a great night & enjoyed coffee (& chai) in an amazing setting. Camping was such a success, I think we might do it a few more times this summer.