(Phone photos again for this post…sorry for the slightly grainy photos but it’s so much easier to carry around my phone than a camera!) Mike and I took the boys camping up in the Adirondack Mountains at the end of last month. Overall, it was a great time – anytime we can get away and be together as a family is really special and fun and lots of great memories were made; but that’s not to say it wasn’t without some challenges! It actually rained quite a bit on this trip, which is hard, especially when staying in a tent. We had one of the worst rain/thunderstorms I’ve ever experienced…pretty nerve wracking while trying to sleep in the middle of the woods! And Levi is still a challenge to have in a tent – he kept waking up throughout the night and wanting to chat because we were right there. Or telling us he needed to go to the bathroom, which meant a walk up to the bathrooms, only to have him not go! But even though by our last morning there I was so excited to be heading home, given the choice, I’d do it again. Crazy? Maybe….
My parents joined us for the trip, along with my aunt & uncle and cousin for the first couple nights. It was fun camping with them – just like we used to growing up! We spent time swimming, kayaking, exploring and eating some yummy food (oh those doughnuts!) from our favorite spots up there. Probably my favorite moment of the trip was the afternoon we spent on Seventh Lake, swimming & kayaking. We were at a “private beach” (a little spot we found last year while up there which we had to ourselves!) and it was just about perfect! If I could spend every summer day like that I would! I’m so thankful for the chance to get away from time to time…even if every moment isn’t perfect. I’m hoping these are memories my boys will always cherish and that it grows their spirit of adventure and love for the outdoors!
Keep close to Nature’s heart… and break clear away, once in a while, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean. // John Muir
