This year for Spring Break we followed Cooper Family tradition and went camping. Spring is our rainy season and so booking our camping trip months in advance we never know if we are going camping in the rain or not. As the time approached I checked up on the weather and for a time it looked like we were going to go camping in the rain. With this in mind I planned activities and meals that could easily be done inside the tent. I also went on a treasure hunt through the house and found jackets that could endure the rain. However, the week of our trip the weather changed (it does that in Texas a lot) and our rain chances were low or non existent. We were excited, camping in the rain is a challenge for two adults not to mention three kids. This year we chose to go camping at Eisenhower State Park in Denison, Texas up by the Red River. The kids were excited and everyday for a week (at least that is what it felt like) Spencer would ask if we are going camping and everyday I would have to tell how many more days. When it came time to load up the car, we had three excited kids that were eager to work and get the car loaded and ready. We were packed and loaded in a couple of hours and it only took daddy a hour to get the canoe up on top of the van and tie it down. Here is how the week went down.
Wednesday: Was the day we checked in and set up shop. We discovered that the campsites were close together and were not very large. The campground was already full (why does everyone copy my ideas) so it was a little tricky to find a spot that would accommodate our large tent. We have a pretty good system when it comes to setting up and the kids all know what to do and get to work. We can usually have everything set and ready to go in about an hour. After dinner the kids enjoyed watching a movie (I know ruffing it) while Grant and I enjoyed sitting around our non existent fire and talking. Later on Grant and I enjoyed a good game of Phase 10 before we called it a night.
Thursday: Thursday morning we spent some time working on some artist Webelo scout requirements while Daddy and Spencer played games in the tent. Around lunch time we took off for a nearby Wildlife Refuge where we had a picnic before we went looking for the different wildlife. We were able to spot several different kinds of ducks, Egrets, turtles, and lots of splashing carp. We enjoyed walking down one of the trails and the kids enjoyed filling the pockets with rocks in hopes of starting a "rock collection." We were able to spend three hours there looking at different wildlife and being out in nature. It was a true escape from the hustle and bustle of realty and it was nice to connect and be a family. That night I was able to down load a star map app on my phone. The star map uses GPS and you point your phone up at the sky and it shows what star constellations are there and also planets. As we were star gazing we noticed two bright stars. We knew these were planets and it was nice to use the star map app and find out that the planets were Venus and Jupiter. We also found Mars and a couple of other planets. The kids really enjoyed looking up at the night sky and seeing the different constellations. Coming from the city we don't really get to see lots of stars because of the lights and pollution. Though it was cloudy that night we were still able to see some through the app on my phone. In that moment I felt the love of my Heavenly Father for me. To think that I am surrounded by all of his creations and to know that the very creator of this universe is my Father. It was a wonderful way to end the day.
Friday: The boys headed off early in the morning for some boating and fishing. Madeline doesn't like the canoe with the wind so we stayed behind. I spent a little bit of time cleaning up and getting things ready for the day and then afterwards we went for a walk together. It was so nice to push Madeline along in the stroller and listening to her talk. I just really enjoyed our time together. After our walk we came back to camp and made some lunch and enjoyed a little lunch together. After our lunch, Madeline wanted to draw so I got out her coloring pad and together we sat in our camping chairs drawing what we saw around the campground. While Madeline drew I read a book and listened to her as she talked about her drawing. It was simply amazing to spend a few hours with her and no distractions. After the boys returned they ate lunch and then off we were to Eisenhower's birth home. Anthony loves history and anything to do with it. I knew he would love taking a tour of his home and would soak everything up. The tour was short enough that Madeline and Spencer didn't get bored. It was nice to learn about President Eisenhower and to see what life was like for him and his family for the 18 months that they lived in Texas. Hearing how hard life was for them, made me appreciate even more my life and how blessed I am. After the tour we went to a nearby Ice Cream place for a little treat before heading back to camp. After we got back from camp we decided to go on a little hike before it got dark. To help Anthony accomplish some scout requirements we had him pick and lead us on the hike. The goal was to pick a trail that would lead to a fishing pier so the kids could do some fishing. Grant and I weren't aware of any of the conditions of the trails and so we were unprepared for what we encountered. Anthony picked a good trail with pretty views, but we were not prepared for the mud and rockiness of the trail. Madeline is still recovering from her foot surgery so she uses a stroller a lot. Well the trail was not friendly for that and so Grant carried the stroller with Madeline in it trying to navigate through the thick mud puddles. I wore flip flops (totally not prepared) and trying to keep it together through the mud and trying to guide Spencer (who loves mud) through mud puddles was a fun challenge. In the end I gave up on keeping Spencer out of the mud and let him enjoyed it and in the process my flip flops broke while navigating through the mud. It was a great time to laugh as a family and the kids did enjoy fishing and Grant being the gentleman that he is gave me his sandals as we walked back a different way to the car. Our hike will definitely be a good memory in our family.
Saturday: Saturday was the day we packed up and headed home. We were going to go to a little Frontier Village/Park and tour some log cabin homes, but we were feeling tired and just ready to go home. I guess that gives us another reason to head back up to Sherman/Denison area in the future. Once again the kids know what their assignments are and together we worked as a team and got our campsite picked up and our car loaded with no problems. This time it only took Daddy 30 minutes to load and tie down his boat. We all cheered for him and congratulated him on a job well done. I guess it has become a game in our family to see how long it will take Daddy to load and tie down his boat.
We couldn't ask for a better camping experience. Our kids love going camping and look forward to every Spring Break as we head out to the camp grounds. It is nice that we pick a different State Park every time and get to explore not only the campground but the area around the grounds. I mostly look forward to the time with my family. I enjoy adding bricks to the memories and it is my hope that when they leave home they will have a house full of brick memories.
