Camping

Dear HM,

It's now been almost 3 weeks, and we are working on eking out a new path. I'm sure you know all of this by now, but it helps me write it to you.

Jack has started calling your dad and talking with him when he misses you. I think it helps both of them work through missing you. They don't argue when we go over and have dinner with them any more. We had dinner with your parents tonight (and Dana was there too!), and it was fun. We had hamburgers and talked about the camping experience which I'm sure you know all about. Dana helped me move furniture around, and I think you'd be pleased with it. I'm putting TV back into the den, but it'll be in a different place. I know you were probably shaking your head at us while we were trying to figure it all out, because you were always better at that stuff than I was. We figured out how to keep the roll-top desk, which I'm happy about. The entertainment center is going, but that's okay.

Camping without you went okay I suppose. You wouldn't have liked it very much this time, and wouldn't have been able to participate in alot of things due to the limited mobility thing. The kid's favorite part of the trip you wouldn't have been able to experience. They enjoyed swimming in Lake Texoma eventhough it was cold. However, to get to the lake where they swam, you had to walk down this VERY STEEP side of a cliff and it was slippery. Walking back up kicked my butt, so it would have been next to impossible for you.

We got the tent set up okay. I got frustrated with it, so Mr. Wannamaker came and helped me put it up. We ended up moving camps because i shared a campsite with the Lees and we were next to the Scott's and the Dabagia's. The kids had a ton of fun and I had a good time as well. It rained Friday night/Saturday morning. It was a downpour at 1:30 am and Jack announced he had to go #2, so he couldn't go outside the tent and take care of business. Thank goodness I'd bought rain boots for everyone, so he and I put on our boots, I told Caroline where we were going and if she got scared to go to the tent next door and off we went. He was so worried about it thundering that he put his fingers to his ears and let the umbrella go off to the side. Of course he got drenched, but he changed when we got back. Apparently a lot of people's tents leaked, but ours didn't (as I'm knocking on wood). As we laid back down to go to sleep Jack said, "You know, Dad liked to listen to the rain. But he wouldn't have liked it here because it's FREEZING!" So I ran out to the truck and got the heater that I'd packed "just in case". We were toasty the rest of the night.

Saturday kept them busy. So busy that right before dinner, Jack went back to our campsite and laid down. He ended up eating half of his dinner and fell asleep about 6:45. Caroline fell asleep mid-sentence about 7. Jack woke up at 6:45 the next morning and Caroline woke up about 7:15. They were whipped. They played a form of Survivor with the cub scouts, rode their bikes, hiked on the rock beach, swam twice in one day, and walked EVERYWHERE.

We got home today about 1:30. All in all the kids had a good day. I think we're going again in May with the Luthi's. That should be fun.

Love always,

SM