Honestly, I was exhausted before we even left. But I pushed myself.
I didn’t want to miss any part of their experience.
They had been counting the weeks…..then the days.
American Heritage Girls Spring Family Campout!
So, with two babies…..one in my womb and one on my hip, our three other girls and tons of other Amazing Families we set out for a weekend of camping…..in tents 
.
Yes we are crazy, but this is the good stuff!
Needless to say after the first night and some loud (non AHG) campers my exhaustion went from a lot to off the charts.
Little ones were grumpy.
Mommy was even grumpier.
Naps were impossible.
My body finally said NO MORE!
So, with tears and disappointment I packed up the two younger girls and made the drive home (thankfully not far).
Bubble Baths.
Oatmeal.
Sleep……
And blueberry pancakes for breakfast.
Jammies.
Snuggling.
Cartoons.
Always wishing I can be there to do it all with my girls, slowly learning……the hard way, sometimes, that I can not.
Thanking God for these lessons in my blessings today.
562. A husband brave enough to camp with “all his ladies”!
563. Thoughtful mommies checking in on me!
564. Watching my little one hear the birds sing as she woke up (wish I had a picture of her face)!
565. A husband who takes care of his wife and LOVED camping with his big girls!
566. Bubble baths.
567. Facetime to say “Goodnight Mommy!”
568. My Bed……snuggled up with my babies.
569. cheerios in a cup, her in my lap
570. cheerios in my lap
571. little hands learning to help
572. The sound of ”the Popper” at 6:15 in the morning
573. blueberry stains on her jammies
574. reconnecting with my campers!
575. Stories…..so many fun stories to tell!
576. HUGE smiles!
577. The smell of campfire on EVERYTHING!
578. Lots of extra laundry waiting for the washing machine.
579. Learning to forgive myself for not always making the best choices.
580. Learning to be “real” for my girls instead of trying to be everything for them.
How good are you at accepting your limitations?
Such a good post! I know exactly how you feel bc I’ve been there very recently. It’s hard to not be able to do everything, and I always feel so guilty.
I know it’s especially hard to give that up when you have to concentrate your thoughts on your body and a new little one! Praying for your today!
WHAT a good post! One thing I have learned over the years is there are people who are better at things that I want to be good at and God just did not bless me with it. BUT There are things that I am better at and I should take it that way and not dwell on it
We LOVE camping and are from the pacific northwest and have always had good camping experiences. In 2004 we moved to the Midwest and have only had baaaad camping experiences(ticks, thunderstorms and massive rainfall in the wee am hours) since moving here and so now when the term “camping” is mentioned I cringe…LOL!
I loved camping growing up, but it is MUCH different with little ones
! Thanks Jessica! Always love what you share!
Maggie, I admire you. I Just have not wanted to try camping with our children yet…the oldest is 9 and my middle is 8…youngest is 4. I think they would all do fine now…except middle who has some sensory issues…it would end up either REALLY good and a nightmare! I think you did a great job!!
That’s what I thought Rebecca…it will either be really good or really bad! I guess it helps to keep our own expectations in check
! My oldest daughter has sensory issues, too. We found the sleeping mats work better than an air mattress for her. The bumps in the air mattress made her crazy!! Go for it!!
You had my utmost respect at the word camping! ha! It’s not hard to see you have put a lot of high expectations on yourself as a mom – as well we should – but I’m glad you saw your limits and came home. You are blessed to have a husband who is such a wonderful partner, too.
As always, I enjoyed reading your post today – thank you.
Thank you Mary!!
I love this! I feel your pain. It makes me sad to see pictures of something we missed out on. However, I’m learning to be content with the weekend God planned for us, and that was actually wonderful!
I’m glad your weekend was good. It is so hard to miss out, but there will be more campouts!