Annual Camping Trip

Hubby and I both really like to go camping.  Right now all we have are tents.  We can't justify the money involved to get any kind of camper to just go once or twice a year.  Maybe eventually, but right now we're sticking with the tents.

Ready to go!

So we try to meet up with our friends from Houston once a year to go camping together.  Since neither one of our families celebrate Halloween we've decided that it is easier to just be gone over that particular holiday.  Plus, the weather down here has generally at least started to cool off by the end of October so that we're not completely miserable in our tents. 

Some of the worst weather we've ever driven in.  That wad of brown is napkins put there to block the water leaking in under the windshield!  Thankful Hubby was driving.

We made our reservations a couple of months in advance and the menfolk had already taken time off, so when the day arrived for us to actually leave we couldn't do anything when a huge storm blew in except pray that God would move it through quickly.  We did leave a little later than originally planned in the hopes that the rain would have stopped by the time we got there.  And it had let up almost completely by the time we arrived.  After dumping 5 inches of water on our campsites. 

It's hard to tell, but this was actually really wet.  This is where we would have been

However, we were very blessed that this particular KOA site had cabins to rent.  They were originally going to let us rent the cabins for a discounted price.  Still more than what we would have paid for a tent site, but the cost was worth it to us at this point.  We would have been miserable in tents with all that water.  However, their computers wouldn't let them give us a discount so they ended up letting us stay in the cabins for the same price we would have paid for the tent sites.  That was such a huge blessing for us.  It was still muddy outside, but we had invested in some rain boots for all of us so we didn't have to worry about wet, messy tennis shoes.  The cabins had a bathroom with a shower, AC/Heat, a microwave, and a little fridge.  The only down side was that since we had packed to be cooking and eating right next to each other we had to make several trips back and forth to where we set up to cook and the cabin.  Other than that, it was absolutely perfect!

Deck from our front porch

The cabins were right next to each other and we had a little pond literally off our front porch.  We spent a large part of the day on Friday fishing.  All of us caught a fish, including yours truly!  I've been fishing so many times in my life and never caught a thing.  I caught two fish within 5 minutes of each other.  It was awesome!

Look close, it's there!

We took a couple of walks, played on the playground for a while, ate, talked, and laughed a lot.  We had a fire pit right in front of the cabin and had fun both nights sitting around the fire.  So what could have turned into not so much of a fun trip turned out to be a blast for all of us.  We got to spend time with good friends and take a break from real life for a couple of days.  We're already looking forward to next year!  Even if we do have to go back to our lowly tents!

Is it still camping if you sleep in a cabin?

We were in the woods and we all came home with chigger bites, so I'm going to say yes!

Our landlady owns a campground about an hour and a half north of where we live and she invited us to come and stay the night one Thursday night.  She knows Hubby has Fridays off and she usually doesn't have anyone renting the cabin we stayed in on a Thursday.  We decided to go ahead and go this last Thursday as one more fun thing before we all started back to school tomorrow. 



 When we got there we all piled in her ATV and she took us on a tour around the area.  It really is beautiful up there.  Hubby and I both really enjoy camping and being in the woods.  This was a nice time for us to be able to spend together as a family without it costing a bunch of money.  We have been thankful for having a wonderful landlady before, but now we're also thankful she is willing to let us stay in her cabin every once in a while as well!

Friday morning we had decided to go see the waterfalls that our landlady kept telling us about.  She asked if she could come along since she hadn't been to see them in about 20 years.  The two waterfalls we got to see were beautiful.  At the second one I even relented and let the girls go down and get their feet wet.  When we go back I will make sure I bring flip flops for all of us so that we aren't trying to put shoes and socks back on wet and muddy feet. 

The hike to and from the waterfalls was a bit more than we were expecting, but it wasn't too bad.  We'll be better prepared next time.  All the girls were troopers.  Even #4 only asked to be carried a couple of times.  #3 was literally running circles around the rest of us.  Gotta love a 6 year old!

It was a quick trip, we weren't even up there 24 hours, but it was worth it!  We're already looking forward to the next time we get to go back.  As #4 keeps saying, "We're going to the cabin tomorrow, right?"

Still in CA

Sadly, Wednesday morning we had to get packed up and head back to Tulare.  We did a little bit of shopping and because I took too long to shop we just had to eat at a diner famous for its clam chowder.  It's a shame I don't like clam chowder, but everyone else does so we were all happy.  After that Hubby took the kids back to the beach for a few minutes to allow them to collect some shells.  #2 was really upset that we left the beach so soon the day before because she had spent all her time in the water and then didn't get to look for shells because we left early.  So Hubby, being the good Daddy that he is, took them all down there and let her gather some shells.  Mom and I went to a couple more stores trying to find t-shirts for all of us and some salt-water taffy.  We all met back up, grabbed some amazing cinnamon rolls to go, and hit the road.  We made it back in enough time to take a shower before going to church.

All our family at the coast

Once again, it was great to spend time with all our church family there.  We said good bye to D and Auntie M and their kids and Papa and Gran-Jan who were all leaving the next day to go on vacation and then went back to P and Aunt K's house.

At this point we had worn every article of clothing I had packed for the trip.  This was how I planned, but still, getting all that laundry sorted from the last week and a half was a bit daunting.  Remember this picture?

Now think of it all being dirty!  So Thursday was laundry day.  Instead of taking all day trying to do laundry at the house I just took everything to a laundry mat.  12 washes later and how ever many cycles in however many dryers to dry it all, it was done.  I threw it all semi-folded into a couple of suitcases until I could get back to the house and sort it all for our trip home.

See, I was in a bit of a rush because we had to make it to a certain bakery in Porterville to eat a torta for lunch.  Hubby and I both worked in Porterville for a while when we lived there, and Hubby and his family had known about this little hole in the wall Mexican bakery for a while, and they make the most amazing mexican food.  We really wanted to sample everything, but settled for a torta.  So good!

The rest of the day was spent re-packing all of our things for the trip home and trying to cram 2 years worth of talking into just a few short hours.  You guessed it--we stayed up way too late again, but it was worth it.  We miss seeing our CA family!

Hubby wrangles children while I pack

And so began our trip home.  Pretty much the same thing as the trip out, only in reverse!  A lot of endless miles that have all blurred together.  One thing that did stand out because it was so funny was that when we started this whole trip I was perfectly happy being in the car with everyone and would talk and engage with everyone, especially Hubby, and it was just another adventure we were on.  When I got in the car to start the trip home I just remember looking over at Hubby and thinking, "Ooo, I already don't like you!"  He hadn't done a single thing, but I didn't want to have anything to do with him!  I don't think I talked much that day.  Again, it's a good thing my Mom was along!

We got to Canyon Saturday evening and got to spend some more time with my Sis and BIL and our friends who live there.  We decided to stay in Canyon on Sunday to give us some time to recover and to enjoy a little extra time with our family there.  It was just what we needed!  We went to see a movie and just enjoyed being together.  My BIL fits into our family quite nicely!

Aunt S let them do her hair!

Monday morning we traveled back to The Farm (my brother D and Aunt A's place), stayed the night and then headed home on Tuesday.  We were very thankful to only have a 5 hour drive on Tuesday.  We weren't complete zombies when we rolled in to town!

And so ends the saga of our trip to California.  While the drive to and from was not the most fun I've ever had, the time we got to spend with friends and family while we were there made it worth it.  However, the next time we go I'm going to make sure I find flights for cheaper than we would pay in gas to get out there!  

And, we're off!

I just sent Hubby and the girls off on their camping trip.  I'm sad that I don't get to go with them, but so thankful to have a husband who is willing and able to take four children on a camping trip without me.  Granted, his parents will be there as well as another family, but the fact remains that the brunt of the work falls on him.  Remember when I said he was exactly the husband and father I knew he would be?  Yeah--I meant it!

I'm leaving in a few hours to go to my brother and sister-in-law's house, stay the night there and then we'll start our trek out for the memorial service on Thursday.  I'm thankful for the time I'll get to spend with my family on this trip.  It will make it much easier than trying to make the trip alone!  Being with family is always better!

But before I go I am going to do some serious cleaning!  Hubby's parents have been here for a little over two weeks and I let the housework slide while they were here.  I'm going to work like mad without the kids around and get everything all sparkly again so it is nice and clean when Hubby and the girls get home.  I'm fully aware that it won't be like that by the time I get home, but I'm ok with that.  Hubby likes a clean house too!