Gone Camping!

I haven't posted for awhile because I was gone camping! Yep, I took off to Florida for a week leaving hubby to fend for himself and the poodle face. Truth be told I missed them both terribly!

Here is the lowdown on camping here in the southern part of Alabama. Apparently people here think it's too hot and too humid and there are far too many bugs to make it enjoyable. The only reason we went is because the church I belong to has a summer camp for young woman ages 12-18 every year. It's not really an option to NOT go. So we all packed up and off we went. 

I am from Utah where camping is as common as grocery shopping. And if you grew up in my family, you may just randomly go camping for no reason. We would stay in campgrounds instead of hotels, decide to eat breakfast up the canyon instead of at the dining table and my friends and I would just go camping for fun one weekend--sometimes in tents, sometimes under the stars. Sometimes we'd have bathrooms, sometimes we'd bring a shovel.  NEVER would we have showers.

So this being my experience, I was quite unsure when they asked me to go as a camp director for these young woman. I was positive that our campsite would be crawling with spiders and they wrap me up like a mummie in their super spidery web and carry me off to eat me. Yes, I go all out in my illogical-irrational frightmares.  However, I figured if God was asking me to go with them, then He was going to not let me get eaten alive by giant spiders---like in Harry Potter. 

Here's the deal. We didn't go camping. We were in the woods-10 mins from civilization-But we had showers, air conditioned cabins, home-cooked meals made in a kitchen-not over a campfire and a pool. Now I know why God thought I could do this. It was fun and relaxing and the young woman were adorable and seriously the future of American. Most of them were from Army families so we talked about all the different places they have lived and what they liked about being in the Army and what they didn't. Most said it was leaving the friends they had made in that area. It was hard to start all over again. It made me think. I chose this life for me. Hubby was in the Army before I met him. I knew exactly what I was getting into when I married that wonderful man. Our children don't get to choose. They just kind of have to follow suit. I hope our children can understand why we-as their parents-felt it was a good idea. I hope we can help them see the good that can come from growing up in the military. And I hope I can understand if my children choose the same path---because it's hard enough watching your husband fly away from you---I can only imagine  if it were my son or daughter. 

Anyway, I got lost on a tangent, but wanted to share my thoughts on children in the military. Here is my review of camping:

Camping here was any more or less miserable or fun than camping in other places. I saw just as many bugs here as I have camping in Utah, Wyoming and New York (upstate). However the spiders I saw were much bigger and they DID freak me out. I think I could easily go camping here--with all the trees and such if it weren't for the wretched spiders! 

Our campsite

Our Cabin

The view from our hike