Easter Camping

Allen has been working night-shift nearly non-stop since the end of January and has taken only four days off. Working every weekend, every day, for 12-14+ hours, he is worn out and so are the rest of us. As we approached Easter weekend, the three- to four-day weekend was already changed because the kids' schools used Good Friday and Easter Monday as bad-weather make-up days. Jon and Will had school until noon on Friday, and all the kids had school on Monday. We decided to hope Allen would be done working and booked a campsite for the weekend. We were a bit disappointed that he did end up needing to go to work Thursday night, but he got to leave a bit early and got home around 4am. When I woke up, I expected he would be in bed next to me, but he decided to stay up and go to the gym. He had really been missing his dark-AM workouts and this was the first he went to in over two months. He got home about the time I was waking Jon and Will up for school, but he did nap until it was time to get the boys at lunchtime. We had lunch, packed the car, and headed out, hoping for great spring weather even though the weather forecasts looked like it could be wet.

We picked a state park we had not been to: Martin Dies, Jr., State Park. The two-and-a-half-hour drive was pretty and really green after all the rain we've had this spring. We checked into the park, set up camp, and started working on dinner. I had precooked some Italian turkey sausage and cut up bell peppers and onions, and the kids helped me assemble foil packets of sausage, peppers, onions, small gold potatoes, and Italian herbs and spices. We cooked the foil packs on the campfire, and everyone loved the meal. Our meal was complete after a couple s'mores. The kids helped with the dishes, then I took them to the playground not far from our campsite while Allen made some wind-blocks for the picnic area. 

 The sun was setting and we started getting ready for bed while we could still see. As we finished brushing our teeth, big raindrops started falling. We rushed to the tent and climbed in our sleeping bags just as the rain started coming down. There was steady rainfall for several hours then lots of wind and a full moon fooling us into thinking it was dawn several hours before the sun rose. Allen's internal clock was telling him that he should be wide awake even though the rest of us knew to sleep at nighttime. By the time we woke up, everything was dry. Breakfast was scrambled eggs, leftover turkey sausage, onions and peppers, and fruit. All four kids were anxious to go to the playground.

With grocery sacks ready to go, we all headed to the park. While Allen and the kids playing on the swings, I helped the park rangers and volunteers set up the Easter egg hunt. Mid-morning the kids came back to that area and joined all the other camping kids searching for candy-filled eggs. There were obstacle courses and other games, but we didn't stay too long. Our family headed to another area of the park to see what there was to see.

After lunch, Allen was ready for a nap, so we all rested for awhile -- enjoying the breeze and the birds chirping. When the kids and I had enough of the tent, I sat outside reading and they went back to the playground. Allen slept several hours then we all went to hear a ranger talk about alligators (they live in that park). We went hiking -- just a short hike, but a beautiful one, around one of the park islands. Since we knew the island trail went around the perimeter of the island, when Will and Jon asked if they could take another trail, we let them. We passed each other along the walk, and Ben joined the other two boys. Having four kids means hikes are usually louder than I like, but with our group split like that, I was able to enjoy the sounds of nature. It was a good hike for me. The boys passed us again, and, rather than listening to them complain that they were tired and walking too far, those boys CHEERFULLY did the hike twice... but without Mama and Dad.

 It ended up feeling like everything was planned around meal times, but soon it was time to start working on dinner. Allen started a fire, Ben worked on assembling a King Ranch chicken casserole, and Maddie helped me make apple dumplings for dessert. The apples took much longer than we planned, but they were so tasty! We cored small apples, wrapped them in pre-made pie crust, filled the core with apple-pie spice, then wrapped it all in foil to cook over the fire -- no sugar added. Again, dinner was a hit, and I was thrilled to start a collection of recipes for camping that the kids could make and enjoyed. Jon and Will washed dishes and we all got ready for bed.

The storms started early morning and we had a lot of rain. Allen could check radar on his phone and it looked like the rain wasn't planning on stopping until late afternoon. When there was a lull in the storm, he rushed around (hours before dawn) making it easy to pack up when it was time to do that. At dawn, we woke the kids and he carried them to the restrooms one at a time so they wouldn't get muddy. We set them up to start packing INside the tent while Allen and I began loading the car. Once the tent was empty, he carried them to the car, the thunder and lightening stopped and the rain slowed to a drizzle. We quickly rolled up the wet tent and tarps, stuck them in the trunk and headed out. Allen and I were wet and muddy, but everything was in the car and the kids were pretty dry and clean [as clean as expected after camping for a weekend]. As we drove away from the park, the storms started again and the rain came down really hard. We drove through a McDonald's for breakfast sandwiches and kept on driving. It was still raining when we got home.

I loved our weekend! Will initially was really grumpy about going camping, but after a short time, even HE was saying how much fun he was having. I really enjoyed spending time with our complete family and working together to get things done. It was probably great for Allen to reset his body-clock with the sunrise and sunset and fresh air, and all of us stayed "unplugged" (no phones, video games, computers, or tv) except for watching the weather on the phone. I am anxious to do that again! ... but I do wonder was our first family camp out on our own, without extended family or friends, not set up by scouts or church groups?

The car was unloaded, the mountain of laundry started, and I was able to spend the rest of the day unwinding the way I love best: pajamas and my Bible studies. Though we didn't attend church, it was a beautiful family weekend enjoying God's creation. Loved it!

Flocked

The youth at our church are doing a fundraiser for a mission trip this summer. We got flocked! These friendly pink flamingos showed up during the night and were a fun surprise when we were heading to school. The fundraiser part of it? We can pay to have them removed, pay a little more to make sure they fly to someone else's year (our choice), or pay even more to make sure they don't return. The kids loved it and we were all sad to see them go.

Spring Break at Camp Gramma & Granddad

Allen was still in the never-ending (or seems that way) turn around, and the kids and I made plans to go to my parents' for spring break. Some of the days were rainy, but we managed to not go too crazy. Maddie used the inside time to catch up on some of the write-ups for some of her almost-finished AHG badges. She worked with Gramma to write up her Needle Arts and Creative Crafts badges that she began at Thanksgiving. She worked with Granddad on the last few requirements of Pet Care and Nature & Wildlife, then she convinced him to help her do the Geology badge.

Tuesday was one of the rainy days and we all headed to the roller rink. Maddie and Will had been roller skating a few years ago with Gramma and Granddad, but the younger boys hadn't been. All four needed to learn (or re-learn) how to move on eight-wheels. It was a great way to get some of our excess energy out, but a few had to get through a lot of frustration before they were comfortable skating. The three boys decided to use some allowance money to do a round of laser-tag, too. All three LOVED it!

Wednesday Dad and I took the kids to Inner Space Caverns near Austin. The kids enjoyed seeing a cave for the first time. I went thinking that we would stay dry even if it was raining, but since it takes a few days for the rain to get through the limestone ceiling of the cave, it was raining INside the cave.

After spelunking and a quick lunch, we headed west to Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge just to see what was there. We stopped at the visitor center and the kids' arms were flooded with book and posters and flyers and all sorts of information about conservation (not of paper, though) and the wildlife in that area. We explored a nearly trail and birdwatching area, then we drove a few miles to one of the trailheads and took about a two-mile hike. The hike was beautiful to most of my senses: I enjoyed hearing the wind through the trees, the sounds of birds chittering, the scent of the rich cedar, the sight of the budding trees and wildflowers, and the feel of the warm breeze... but OH MY did the kids whine and gripe about "how much longer?" and "I am SO tired!". That sort of spoiled a lot of the beauty, but I would love to return sometime with happy hikers. There were some interesting rocks that, upon inspection, showed signs of being chipped into tools. Granddad and I tag-teamed some of the lessons about different rocks and erosion, and, with the cave tour, all the kids would've finished learning what was needed for the Geology merit badge. We got back to Waco in time to meet Gramma for pizza for dinner and the kids all slept well that night.

Thursdays was a slower-paced day and I was able to get a few last-minute groceries before Maddie and I went camping Friday through Sunday. We were the only ones from our troop who went to Belton (about an hour from my parents' home) for a regional American Heritage Girls Camporee. We went not knowing what to expect, but we had a wonderful time meeting new friends, learning new things, and getting into enough trouble to make our trip an adventure Maddie will likely remember for quite awhile.


Going into our camp, we had to drive through the camp, and our vehicle was one of the lucky many that got stuck in the mud. I had lots of help getting out of the mud, but, after I parked to unload, I decided to leave the car where it was for the weekend. On Saturday, I got the little backpacking stove out to cook water for our oatmeal and coffee. The fuel valve does not operate on the righty-tighty rule, and when I picked it up to see why it wasn't letting fuel out, the fuel poured onto the wooden picnic table where I set it up. Since the fuel was taking awhile to evaporate, I moved the stove to the other end of the table and got it going. Within a second, all the fuel vapors lit, turning the table into a torch. I calmly watched it burn. Several people watched me and wondered what I was doing -- they were confused because I didn't panic at all, but my face looked like I did all of that on purpose. When the flames didn't go out as quickly as I hoped, I threw half the pot of water on it and gave up for the morning... feeling a bit ridiculous. BUT, that is the part Maddie tells EVERYONE about when they ask about her campout. For the record, I did light the stove for dinner without the extra sparks, and there was no sign on the table that there was a fire earlier. Maddie was glad to boast, "Since Mama and I can set up a tent, cook our own meals, AND have fun, we can go ANYwhere now!" She really had a good time meeting new friends (especially a girl named Jordan) and doing all the crafty activities with them. In the end, she earned a few more badges, too!

 Meanwhile, the boys were learning a lot from Granddad. They made slingshots and they went to trap gophers... just because that's what Granddad likes to do. Granddad made some traps he wanted to try out, so they set the traps, then found a gopher and got a lesson on how those critters have adapted to their territory. 

My brother's family arrived at my parents' Saturday night, but we all got to meet my sweet new niece Josephine who was born in February.

Just for fun, I had to include a photo of all the cousins except for the newest little one. I wonder how many years of this kind of photo we will get when we say, "Everyone look at me and smile!" (but Mom took this one). We were glad to get back home to see Daddy for a short time, but he soon headed back to the refinery for more really long hours. We will all be so glad when turn-around is over, but for now we are all going back to "regular" life: school, scouts, Bible study, meetings, and more.