This year my mom and Ron invited us to go camping with them for Memorial Day weekend. Javier and I agree that we are so blessed and thankful that we can go away for 3 days with them and have such a peaceful, tension-free, relaxing and fun weekend. Not every family can do that, and we don’t take it for granted!
Anyways, Mom and Ron went down Friday morning to set up camp (that is the best and only way to camp in my opinion – have someone else set up for you!). The camp ground was KOA Butler – about 10 minutes from Mohican. They had a really nice playground, pool and … goats! On the way there we were going through a thick part of the woods and Eli quietly said … “We’re in the forest … nothing to be afraid of.” Ha!

Javier slept in his own tent and Mom, Ron, Eli and I slept in the camper. The first night we just kind of hung out at the campsite, made a fire and ate hamburgers. I just have to say that Ron is amazing – he’s always working, always helping and … cooking!
Saturday was Javier’s 40th birthday! I had already bought and given him his gifts (Logos Bible software and some other random things – he made me promise him I wouldn’t throw him a party), but we went into town and visited an art show – Eli was a little sleepy, so Jav ended up carrying him the whole time. I don’t think he minded … it’s a rare treat to be able to hold this boy while he’s sleeping.

After that, we went for a drive in the park and stopped at the covered bridge. My mom has a picture of my little brother Kevin fishing on this bridge when he was about 2.

It was still kind of chilly Saturday night, so we skipped the pool and rode on the fire truck instead! The owner bought a 1967 Ford fire truck just for the camp ground. The campers load up their water guns and balloons and as the fire truck goes by they soak the passengers who sit on top. We opted to stay inside the cab where it was nice and dry.

And of course, Saturday night we had cake for Jav’s birthday. Eli and I are seriously so blessed to have such a wonderful man in our lives!

Sunday was hot! Because the lakes and rivers were “flooded” we couldn’t go canoeing or boating, so we hung out at the pool! Luckily the water temperature was very comfortable, so everyone got in at one point or another. It’s been such a rainy and cool spring that it was the first bit of color I got on my skin! I bought water wings for Eli, so he was thrilled when he realized he could “schwim by himshelf.”

Sunday night we hung out at the campsite … watched a DVD while enjoying a lollypop … and other such activities common to camping. Ha! I just had to include this picture – nothing like hanging out in the great outdoors, sitting on a CARS lawnchair with feet propped up on a sandbox watching …. CARS! Our kid is not affected by the media. Oh no, not at all. After Eli went to bed we made s’mores and talked about our best vacation memories. I had several – going six years in a row to Catawba Island near Sandusky where we camped and visited Cedar Point and Put-In-Bay. Javier spoke about his memories of “Fresh Air Fun” – a program that took him out of inner city Brooklyn into the suburbs or upstate New York (what a cool program!). Ron recalled taking his three kids out West and Mom talked about various travels to Tennessee.

Monday mornin we packed up, swimmed a little more, then headed to Lehman’s Hardware. That is SUCH a cool place! On our way home we stopped to eat at an Amish restaurant where Eli posed for a picture in a buggy.
Even thought it was a simple, short trip, I am so excited that Eli got to experience the time with his “Papa” and “Tita.” I think we’ll all have great memories of the trip for years to come!