1. Do you and your family enjoy camping? What do you enjoy most/like the least when it comes to family camping? When was the last time you camped?
I have been sitting here for about 5 minutes contemplating this question. And I'm still not sure how to answer it. Growing up, the only vacations we took as a family were camping. We never stayed in hotels anywhere we went, we always camped. For at least two weeks every summer. The fact that my brother and I didn't kill each other (or my parents kill us) is truly a testament to survival under duress.
That being said, I got to see a lot of wonderful national parks that I would not have otherwise seen. And now, looking back, we can (kind of) laugh about flimsy air mattresses that deflated during the night, bees that swarmed the tent when we camped near a dairy farm, and coyotes that howled outside when we didn't have camping reservations at the Grand Canyon and had to sleep in the car on an Indian reservation.
Again... survival of the fittest... that's us.
As a mom now, we love the idea of camping... we have gone camping as a family a few times, but honestly most of our vacations have all involved going to visit family because we have lived so far away from them. Also, my DH has very limited time off, in between deployments and moves and trainings and such. However, I will say that the times we have camped together have been a lot of fun - hiking, campfires, playing card games... truly wonderful.
My least favorite part - how DIRTY everything gets, my ponytail matted into a permanent state even when I take out the rubber band, washing dishes in cold water... blech. Not my favorite part. Nothing like a few days of camping to make me SO glad I was not born in pioneer days. Just sayin.
But the memories - those are my favorite part about camping - the togetherness and being out in nature. (This is a really old pic - from the Smoky Mountains on the NC/TN border...)
2. Did you attend a summer camp when you were a kid? Is that a happy or not so happy memory?
As a family we attended family camps at Forest Home Conference Center, which was wonderful. My first time ever to a summer camp by myself, though, was at Calvin Crest - and it was there that I first realized that my relationship with Jesus Christ could be real and personal and fill me with the hope and assurance I needed to get through. I was 11 years old, and this realization literally saved my life. So yes, definitely a happy memory!
3. Over the course of your life, what have you probably spent more time pondering than anything else?
Why do some people not realize the consequences of their actions and take responsibility for them? I know so many who have literally destroyed their careers, their personal lives, and their family due to their actions... and yet everything is always someone else's fault and they are the victims. Does NOT make any sense to me.'
4. Which of the seven natural wonders of the world would you most like to see? There are many lists of 'wonders' but this is the standard naturalwonder list-Mount Everest, The Great Barrier Reef, The Grand Canyon, Victoria Falls, The Harbor of Rio de Janerio, Paricutan Volcano and The Northern Lights.
I would love to see The Great Barrier Reef, because it is the most endangered at the moment, and that .is. just. wrong.
5. What was your first real job?
Besides babysitting? Working for The Blue Chip Cookie Company... my family and I gained 6 pounds that summer. Good thing it was only a summer job!
6. Lemonade or Sweet tea...which do you prefer on a hot summer day?
Lemonade. With or without gin, depending on the hour! ;-)
7. What is something that always brings a smile to your face?
The sounds of my kids laughter!
8. Insert your own random thought here.
So - this is going to be a two-part random thought. Because I can. heeheehee...
This past Saturday was our 17th wedding anniversary. And how did we celebrate? Well - hubs celebrated by serving our country in Afghanistan, and while I would LOVE to have him here by my side at the moment, I couldn't be prouder of him and all that our men and women are doing to protect our freedoms and the freedoms and rights of others.
that being said - I celebrated by bringing my three
Below is an anniversary video I put together and put on a DVD for my husband... I sent it to him so he could watch it in between missions. His comment? "As I watched it I kept wondering who those young kids were that were dressed up in wedding attire!"
17 years... 9 moves... 3 kids... 2 career changes... 3 deployments... may the adventure continue! Here's to you babe!
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And now - for Part 2...
The kids and I are on our way for a three week road trip. By myself. With three children. 2,232 miles. Over 3 weeks In an increasingly old minivan that already has 173,000 miles and a cracked windshield.
In an attempt to break up the summer a bit and make my hub's deployment go by a little quicker... I have become a masochist.
All for the sake of visiting family and creating memories for my children. Ones that will hopefully not result in night terrors and flashbacks for either me or the children.
Do I ask too much?
Should make for some interesting blog fodder and FB statuses to say the least!
