Camping

We spent the weekend camping in the rain. Now before you begin the groaning, I wouldn't really change any of it. We do have a camper so I probably should have said glamping, for you diehard tent campers. It was an on again off again rain. The kiddos met friends that they now facetime with. Isn't it amazing how children can pick up friends wherever? There is probably a lesson there for us adults. It was just an all around good time. Sure, we would have biked more or hiked more, but we just hung out as a family. The kids also ran around with their new friends. A tip, I will do again, is I stocked up at the dollar store with glow sticks, water shooters, magnifying glasses, bug viewer boxes, new coloring books, rolled paper to lay out on the picnic table for drawing, paint for rocks... they stayed busy indoors and outdoors. I have also realized to keep it simple. Pinterest can give you a ton of recipes in foil packets or on sticks or on a grate or in a pan....  Do what works for you and your family. Do what makes it fun. We have added things that we love, like "smoreos", using Oreos as the graham cracker(found on the web), but have only done banana boats, a banana sliced lengthwise and stuffed with marshmallows, mini chocolate chips/ butterscotch chips, mini caramels or any other yummies then wrapped in foil and tossed in the coals (saw on Pioneer Woman)once. Really, the only reason is that the bananas don't make it till nighttime. If you are stressing about the food, camping loses its luster. Buy prepared burgers, if that works, or just eat hot dogs. Bring the marshmallows, graham crackers, chocolate or Reeses, grab a stick and light the fire. The point is to get outside with your family and make some memories. They won't remember the foil packet meal as much as the creek hike that led to seeing an alligator snapping turtle hiding in the root of a tree, or catching crawdads in the creek, or, or, or.........

Papa Sluss

A lot has happened since my last post. The most notable of that is the passing of my father-in-law, Papa Sluss. After losing my mom, 8 years ago tomorrow, it was hard to be positive with my husband with the usual comments.... things will get better, he is in a better place (which is true, but not helpful in that moment),.... What inspiring thing did I say to my husband at this moment, "I would like to say this pain will get better, but to be honest moments will resurface this same raw feeling. Sometimes when you least expect it. Moments like holidays and pipes bursting. We own an apartment building and Papa Sluss was our go to guy. He would drive through the night to help us out. Moments like your son hitting the ball at little league or walking into the same pipe in the basement that no one can seem to miss with their head. I could name a million more, but sometimes it is simply a song that comes on the radio that will bring the tears to the surface. Hold on because those moments will come when you least expect it and the happy and sad line seems to blur together. This all happened in January and we still look for his quirky texts and his Bravada out back, with his dog, Macky. My inspirational verse for today is: I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11