A camping we will go, a camping we will go...

High ho the derry O, a camping we will go. Yes, it is true. We're going camping. In the woods. With a tent. In the dirt. And possibly without running water OR bathrooms. EEEK! We'll be gone all weekend in Lake Tahoe with my husband's cousin, his wife and their 3 kids. That is 6 kids total, from ages 9 to 14 months. Whew, it's going to be an experience! 

We went to Big 5 and bought all our gear. Well, most of our gear. The family, let's call them the P's, go camping a lot so they have the cooking equipment etc... But we ran that poor sales guy at Big 5 ragged. We got an 8 person tent so it should be plenty of room for our family. Let us not forget that we have the pack and play to put up in there! 

We're staying at a camp ground not far from the lake. From what I can see on the website, we should have an amazing view. I am really looking forward to getting out of town for a few days, spending time with the kids doing something completely new with them, being able to sit around with our extended family without distractions and the grind of daily life creeping into the schedule. We have 3 whole days to relax and recharge. 

I love Tahoe and the weather should be beautiful this weekend. The lake water will be downright chilly but I'm sure that won't stop the kids from going in and making the most of every moment alloted to them in that water! It's amazing to me that as adults, we get so put off by cold water or other surrounding conditions and allow that to impede the fun we could be having. Children seem to block out the cold, the circumstances, whatever is surrounding them that an adult would let hinder them. They go all out and just have a good time. I hope this weekend brings back some of that innocence for all of us and I am determined to go into the lake with my girls. I might only stay a few minutes but by gum, I'm going to dunk my head under and swim with them for a while. 

I can't wait to see how the kids do without all the common conveniences of home and how they really CAN survive a day without television, a Wii, or any other electronic device to babysit their minds. There's fun to be had in the world and I pray this trip stimulates their minds and shows them their imaginations are more fun than anything someone else can come up with. Rocks, sticks and a good imagination can make a camp site into a fortress. They become princesses and fight their way past the dragons to safety! We're going to let them try their hands at cooking dinner and helping out with pitching the tent. It's going to open them up to all new experiences. 

Life is full of moments that seem to be flying by at the speed of light. Just yesterday, it seems like Chachi was born and we were bringing her home for the first time. Now she's going into her last year of elementary school and that will be over before we know it and it's off to middle school. I want to grasp every moment we have left with my kids and hold them tight with both hands. Remembering all the smells, sounds and emotions related to each one so that when they're grown, I can pull them out and relive them. And I hope they take those memories with them too where ever they go so when they're far away at college or starting their own lives, they can take them out, call me and we can share those memories together, reminiscing about times like this when we went camping for the first time in Tahoe and all the funny things that happened on the trip. 

Look at me here, I'm getting all sappy and I actually started this post laughing at the thought of me being in dirt for 3 days! I have a ton to do today, including packing all my stuff, Boop's stuff and the food etc... so I should probably get started on it. I can't wait to post some pictures of us "roughing it" and I WILL have a picture made of me in the water. For posterity's sake, of course!