Off to the Wild Yonder...

Could I be in a better mood? Tomorrow morning I'm leaving for the beach, for our annual camping trip with friends and family.  And I mean, my whole family. It's been awhile since all three of my kids have been on this trip with us - sometimes, Casey hasn't made it, and, of course, Matt has missed a couple too.  But this year, not only are all three of them with us, each of them is bringing a friend, too, so we'll have a campsiteful.  The trailer, two tents, and enough food to survive the apocalypse. We're on our way.

Don't get me wrong, it's not the actual camping I'm psyched about. Camping is a lot of work. Particularly the getting ready part: the shopping and the cooking and the packing and the constant checking and re-checking of the master list, in an effort to not find yourself 50 miles from civilization with a 24-pack of hot dogs and no mustard.  But I shouldn't complain too much, at least we're not sleeping in a tent. I'm far too old to drag my body off the ground in the middle of the night, to trudge through the mud to pee, every hour on the hour.  Plus, I'm a major whiner about the cold and the wet, which is pretty standard for camping in the Pacific Northwest.  Give me my heated trailer and no one gets hurt.

In the end, though, I love it. I bitch and moan but I always have a great time. Once we get settled in, I love sitting around the fire, tucked into my Jim Forman parka, camp coffee in my mug; I love the kids running in and out of the campsite, enjoying a kind of freedom that exists in no other place or time.  I love my friends laughing, sharing memories of the past nine years we've taken this trip, catching up with those we only see this one time a year. I love curling up next to John at night in the most uncomfortable bed on earth, falling asleep to the sounds of everyone settling down for the night.

I'm pretty sure though, that this year, I'm really going to love having to cook and clean and set up and break down and keep track of...six kids.

Have a great weekend, everyone!