sometimes i worry about my sanity...

but weekends like this, quickly assure me that i still don't have any.

so, what's crazy about going on a two day camping trip with seven kids?

nothing really.

its actually a great idea....

if there isn't a seventy percent chance of rain.

need i say more?

probably not, but i'm going to anyway.

i wish you could have seen us,

all packed and ready for our adventure...

honestly,

we had to take two cars.

what we packed:

• one flashlight
• two tents
• 4 very large tarps
• 10 blankets
• 8 pillows
• enough clothes for each person to have three changes of clothing
• 1 sweatshirt for each person
• a large umbrella to keep out of the sun (or RAIN)
• toilet paper
• potty chair
• wipes
• diapers

an ice chest stuffed with:

• one watermelon
• 4 packages of hot dogs 
• 2 1/2 dozen eggs
• 1 lb of bacon
• 2 lbs hamburger
• sandwich meat

not to mention:

• a 4 lb bag of salt potatoes
• two very large cans of beans
• enough granola bars to feed an army
• 2 cases of bottled water
• chips and salsa
• fruit roll-ups
• bread and buns
• one case of flavored water

for cooking:

• one very large pot
• two frying pans
• hamburger flippers and tongs
• knife
• paper plates and cups
• paper towels

and don't forget:

• one canoe and oars
• 5 life jackets
• enough fishing tackle to catch a whale
• hatchet
• stroller
• ergo baby carrier

and most importantly:

• my camera

and now....what we should have added...along with a u-haul:

• a parka for each person
• another sweatshirt for each kid (especially for the one who was playing in the rain pouring off the cover of the tent)
• a few dry logs
• an air mattress
• another 2 1/2 dozen eggs
• 2 more lbs of bacon
• a picnic table
• a few towels
• a broom
• extra flashlights
• a lantern or two
• coffee

now, to make this long story short...

we packed for a two night stay...

set up our tents as it began to drizzle...

 questioned our ability to make it through the night, as it began to down pour..

figured if we made it this far, we could surely brave it through the night..

the insides of the tents and the blankets were dry, even if we weren't...

the campfire was raging, even if the wood wasn't dry..

and one of the kids brilliantly packed the sun umbrella, which was the only way we all got dried off and kept the fire going, while we cooked our beans and hot dogs over the fire...

worn out from setting up camp and finding firewood...the kids ate their "cowboy dinner" like never before,

and were more than ready to bed down for the night...

everyone, including the baby...slept like babies...

except of course for hubs and i.

next time..

yeah, we're that crazy...

next time, 

we buy an air mattress.

end of story..

we went camping in a torrential down pour, and had a blast...

the next morning, 

hubs took a canoe full of kids fishing, caught a few whoppers,

gave a few joy rides to the little ones, 

i stayed behind and made eggs and bacon over the open fire, best eggs ever..

(especially with the pine needle/dirt seasoning, compliments of bubba) 

and then we packed it all up.

its fine to sleep on dry blankets, but when there is no sun the next day, and its more humid than the inside of a green house, its time to call it quits, and go visit friends who have air conditioning..

and that's exactly what we did.

pack up, drive home, shower, re-pack clean clothes...

and drive another two hrs to visit one of our favorite people, ever.

and this is perfect proof that my sanity is still non-existent.  

my only regret is that i didn't take enough pictures,

 it was so wet, and i was afraid to take my camera out..

i wish i had a picture of our "camp"...

clothesline and all...it was so classy