Summer 2014 Camping Adventure

We wanted to go on a nice little adventure this summer without breaking the bank, a road trip that would satisfy our wanderlust but still accommodate our little ones.  We decided on a camping trip in one of Louisiana's majestic state parks, only a couple hours away from home but plenty of opportunities to explore and experience new things.  We rented a cabin deep in the woods, all the comforts of home for the babies but still rustic and simple. My aunt and uncle and cousins came with us, renting their own cabin close to ours. We had the whole park to ourselves for the first few days as most of the other campers didn't arrive until the weekend.  It was so quiet and peaceful, the landscape so beautiful it just took my breathe away every time I walked outside.

Brees and River stuck to their typical early bird schedules, waking up at dawn and begging to go outside as soon as they opened their eyes.  We had our breakfast on the screened in porch every morning, watching for squirrels and rabbits and birds.  There is no better medicine for a working mama's soul than getting to spend uninterrupted quality time with your babies for a full week of vacation.

We rode our bikes to the lake and went fishing all afternoon, the kids scaring the fish off more than luring them in.  We spotted a family of alligators on the other side of the lake and a couple of snakes, too. 

We cooled off at the splash pad that was just a short bike ride away from our cabin.  

We went on lots of great hikes, from rough terrain to landscaped boardwalks through the swamp. Our kids were such troopers, putting in literally miles that week through every trail we brought them on.  I made scavenger hunts for them on the longer hikes to keep them busy and they had a blast finding all of the random things on my list: bullfrogs, alligator eggs (we actually found some!), various wildflowers...   It was the perfect way to let them burn off all their energy!

The kids took epic naps thanks to all of the activity and the grown ups took a few naps, too.  A true luxury! I even read a book!  And Shawn and I got to spend some nice quiet time together on the porch, just talking and drinking tea and enjoying the peaceful surroundings.  It was so relaxing and rejuvenating.

The older cousins watched the babies for us one afternoon so that Shawn, my aunt and uncle, and I could take Isabelle and Sarah on a canoe trip.  We paddled up the Tickfaw River for several hours, one of my favorite parts of the whole trip.  The girls were so happy to have us all to themselves, a little adventure to call their own.  We spotted tons of wildlife on that canoe trip, Louisiana swamp creatures around every turn.  

River stuck with me on a bike trail that was a couple of miles longer than I had expected.  It was rough and tough and there were some places that I had to get off the bike and push us through fallen trees and muddy waters.  We made it, though, my little buddy and I.  He is such a trooper, smiling his way through our great outdoor adventure.

On the way home, after everything was all packed up and we reluctantly said goodbye to our week in the woods, Isabelle said, "I'm going to remember this for the rest of my life!".  And you know what?  She will. It was everything that childhood should be: simple, inspiring, and stimulating.  Days full of activity, nights spent talking around the fire.  Good quality family time with no distractions.  Funny moments we'll never forget like the very big and very brave raccoon who snuck onto our porch and tried to steal our s'mores.  Or teaching Brees how to pop a squat behind a tree right as a group of boyscouts hiked right past us.  Or Shawn getting chased by a bee as we tried to take this picture but not even flinching because he didn't want to have to take the picture AGAIN.

It was an incredible trip with lifelong memories made for our family and I am so thankful for the time we were able to spend together!

Our Griswold Family Moment

For Mother's Day weekend, Shawn and I planned to take our girls to a cabin in a local
state park for a 3 day long getaway in the woods.  We have visited this state park
 on numerous occasions, hiked up to the cabins and anxiously awaited our time there.
I made the reservations online, securing our spot 3 months in advance because this place
 is in such high demand.  We packed our sleeping bags, board games, ingredients for
s'mores: all of our camping necessities.  I could hardly contain myself as Friday
quickly approached and our dream of a weekend away became a reality.

I am sorry to say, friends, that our camping trip was a bust.  We woke up on Friday
morning to torrential downpours and the weather man warning us that
severe thunderstorms were expected for the next 48 hours.  Shawn and I decided to
forge ahead, though, knowing that we could keep the girls busy with games and books
 and head out for bike rides and exploring whenever the rain let up.  We were
determined not to let a little rain ruin our trip.

We got to the park early Friday afternoon, checked in at the main gate, and followed
 the map to our cabin site.  As we drove up to the secluded cabin, we all looked at each
other in confusion.  This place was NOT like one of the cabins we had previously seen and
it was most certainly NOT what was advertised on the website.  This place was a
glorified storage shed and I wondered how we would all even fit inside.  But we kept
our smiles on, determined to stay optimistic as the rain came pouring down and we
all squeezed into the questionable cabin.

As soon as we stepped inside, we were bombarded by the smell of something old, moldy,
and reminiscent of a dead animal.   The fridge didn't work, the air conditioner sounded
 like a helicopter was landing inside the cabin, and we were afraid to set any of our
things down. Now, let me be clear here: we are not above roughing it.  Shawn and I
are experienced campers who have gone on countless adventures.  But this was different:
 we paid a certain amount of money to stay in a certain type of accommodations.  This
was not the cabin we had reserved and we were completely confused as to what was
going on.

Shawn went back to the front office to question the clerk.  She admitted that this
problem "happens all the time" and that the website is "misleading".  She was
extremely nice and told us that if we stuck it out through the night, she would try to move
 us to the "nice cabins" in the morning.  If nothing was available, she would refund
our money for the second night.

We were thankful for this woman and her kind and understanding nature.  Frankly, I was
a tad bit pissed off that this is a known problem and people are booking cabins not
knowing whether they are "nice" or, in our case, horror movie style.  What was this luck
of the draw situation all about?  But we stuck it out, making the most of it, riding out
 the storm in our teeny tiny stinky cabin.  We woke up super early on Saturday morning 
and headed back to the front desk, hoping for good news.  Sadly, the clerk from the 
previous day was gone and in her place stood a woman who was much less sympathetic.  
She scolded us for not calling ahead and "clarifying" what type of cabin we were 
booking.  Well, I do apologize, state park employee, for not calling ahead and 
clarifying whether my cabin was suitable for a family themed weekend or better 
geared towards a frat party locale.  But thanks for the heads up!

Shawn and I put our heads together, looking outside at the unrelenting rainstorm,
knowing that this weather meant we would be stuck inside this nightmare all day.  And
then Isabelle spoke up with her usual gusto: "Can we just go home, PLEASE?!!".
And we knew what we had to do.

We packed everything into the truck at record speed, drove the 30 minutes home, and
took the longest showers ever.  Though we were disappointed with how things worked
out, we knew we just had to make the best of it.  And so we built a fire outside on our
porch, roasted hot dogs and made s'mores.  We rented a movie and lounged around
the living room.  We took long naps and cuddled all together over a plate of brownies.
 We didn't get to have our camping weekend the way that we originally planned, but we
did spend our whole weekend holed up in the house, enjoying every moment together.
We also shared a million laughs over our Griswold family-like experience: from the
busted up BBQ grill on the rotting porch of the cabin to Brees running around with
 black, dirty feet and not caring one way or another.  For Mother's day, I got to sleep in
until 8, received two handmade cards, and enjoyed my husband's amazing cooking for
all 3 meals.  It was such a treat to be doted on all day.

Sometimes, life is what happens after you realize that your original plan was a bust.
It's about making the most of every moment and laughing at those that are less than ideal.
 I really hope we can someday go back to the park and stay in a "nice" cabin.  Until
then, we'll try our best to avoid the alternative.  At least until our girls are big enough
 to ward off bird-sized mosquitoes on their own.