Last month we went on a "family camp" camping trip with our church. While we both love to camp, we do not camp very often. We were able to borrow most of our camping gear from Brent's parents and we brought a few of our own outdoor items to make our campsite feel a little more like home.
Which, of course, meant making things pretty. This was my first experience at any form of "glamping" and it was so much fun! My Mexican papel picado banner was perfect for adding color and festivity to our little campsite.
We brought our EZ-Up as well as plenty of camping chairs and folding chairs. We could not make up our mind which to bring so we just brought them all! It proved to be very convenient as it welcomed people to come and hang out with us. It's all about hospitality, right?! We shared food, got to know new friends, and caught up with old ones.
For the inside of our tent, we used air mattresses and brought plenty of blankets to make a cozy little bed. I kept the tent doors open when I could because it looked so welcoming!
We brought an iPod and portable Bluetooth speaker to listen to some tunes.
It became our sweet little home away from home.
All of the families were ones with young children so we were the only couple who did not have kids. It ended up being a really sweet experience to get to know some of our friend's children better and have the extra time and energy to give them our full attention. It would be so easy to feel left out or out of place without children, but instead we choose to embrace this season of life of being an aunt and uncle to all!
Plus there are always smores. I can't seem to say no to just one...or three!
Besides spending time with others, I always enjoy getting away with my husband. We enjoyed a morning bike ride down to the river and taking in the slowness of camping life.
Since this was a planned family camp camping trip, about half of our meals were prepared for us and then each family was on their own for the others. This was fun to experience barbecuing on our own while also enjoying a few shared meals.
Brent made two very close friends that weekend. They were all about helping him at our campsite and sitting by him at the campfire. It reminds me how patient and kind he is with kids. Melts my little heart!
Each night we ended our day at the campfire with a little devotional and then Brent lead us in some songs.
