And I was not a fan and that is all.

No really, that face above? that was me most of my waking hours.

Well…that’s untrue. My face had a smile at almost every waking moment, I owed a happy face to my family. INTERNALLY however, under the game face smile…was this cringing face, longing for my home. Or any home. Indoors.

I am not cut out for camping BUT for my kids….I planned the trip and even went along for the ride.

We borrowed our neighbours very beat up trailer to tow WAY TOO MANY of our creature comforts (yeah, we brought out deck love seat, and what?!) and hit the road!

Unfortunately the road hit us back about an hour into our trip. One of the trailers old tires blew leaving us with a spare that didn’t look much better than the one that had just exploded….but we had no other options, so we replaced and moved along (fingers crossed the next four hours that we would make the trip in one piece, and spoiler alert, we did)

So like I was saying….it wasn’t ALL bad. We had our great friends camping at the site across from ours, and spending a few days visiting them and getting the kids together for some great memory making was really a highlight.

Just when we thought the kids were gathered around admiring some magical piece of nature…..it turned out someone had brought snapchat. We gave them a minute to finish with their funny face filters and then banned the screen, which was met with great upset…for about 10 minutes and then they discovered the freedom that is being old enough to wander the campgrounds, well all except Willow, who was begrudgingly by our side most of the week.

The tiny playground was THE place to be for anyone under 14, watching Ki flip and swing all around had me so nervous, but….she somehow did NOT fall and did NOT break a bone as I was anticipating the entire time. Ahhhh the hours I have wasted with worry in my lifetime (actually if added up it would probably be a frightening number….I am sure I have wasted months of my life if not years in needless worry!)

Willow, after the first day onsite, was made to wear her boots, knee pads and helmet at all times (along with, as you will see in many photo’s, a wrap around her hand) due to the amount she was falling. Yes toddlers are accident prone, I know this…she is number three after all, but this camping trip was by far and wide the most bloody, scrapped up, fall down, head bumping, tongue biting, and did I mention BLOODY experience of her life, to date. It was constant. We would clean up her bleeding wounds, pray for infection to stay away and the moment she was back on her feet she would be face first on the ground again, bleeding again, crying again, needing medical help again. It was a LOT, and it started in the first hour of our arrival.

Okay so….getting the whole group together for a big family meal was fun. A table filled with great friends and good cooking….can’t complain about that.


Below is what happens when I spot sweet moments with my children and try to catch it with my camera. Holding hands and walking together, chatting in their own little world? gotta catch that! oh no…wait…nevermind, they are quickly back to goofball form.

Ki wrapped up in her happy place

Willow reminds me of me
Andrew (that’s my guy with me below) I have to say….did it ALL. He knows how I feel about camping, and in the tradition of spoiling me to the point of nobody else ever standing a chance with me, he took care of EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING. I can’t stress it enough. I may have made the lists, packed the clothes and cooked the meals, but after that….oh it was all him. He packed us up. He set up camp. He cooked EVERY meal. He washed every dish. He made sure I was comfortable. He made my many many many s’mores (lest I get a cold/tired arm or burn my marshmallow) He got up at the crack of day with the children and he always had a coffee ready for me when I finally decided to emerge from the tent and face the daylight. Andrew is irreplaceable and in my eyes can’t be matched. I however am clearly the worst. Ah well.

Okay wait. I’ve had time to think while scrolling through these pictures.

I didn’t love camping. If I could CHOOSE I would vote cottage from here on out.

HOWEVER…..to be fair….it was a great time and we all made great memories.

The bike rides were my favourite, we do it at home too but at camping it is different…more freedom and solitude, not so many worries about someone veering off into traffic or falling on cement.

All five of us have a bell on our bikes and when one person rings it is family code….we ALL ring. It is a funny thing we do but it also helped us a few times relocate after being separated and once in the dark of the night when we thought we may have misplaced one of our precious children…..we rang our bells and…wait….wait….faintly….then louder….DING DING DING…..child found.

The s’mores were also my favourite, I put no limit on myself, it didn’t matter…I brought plenty of stretchy pants.

The kids (all but willow who had a bedtime to adhere to) played campground wide manhunt with a slew of other camping kids, flashlights and the buddy system…they came home each night sweaty and exhausted, smiles on their faces and s’mores in their hands. THAT right there is why we planned this trip in the first place. THOSE are the memories they will hold onto for years to come. THAT is childhood.

We beached, we lounged plenty, we played, the kids had many an opportunity to be friend with each other and build up their sibling bonds (high importance to me!)  and the one thing I can’t seem to do when I am at home…..we did ZERO work. None. No email. No editing. No messages (though I will admit…the first couple days I tried…) no….it was a week away from it all. All but the deck love seat.

So for all the wah wah’s I could come up with, in the end, we did this for our children, they are our reason for all our good choices. If I could go back and choose to stay at home or swallow my distaste for camping…..I would 100% journey into the woods again. For them.