While out on our Sunday walk this week, we noticed that the kids needed something to look forward to, since this week is Spring Break. For the past few years, we have been on some amazing adventure during Spring Break, so all the kids were expressing their disappointment that we couldn't go anywhere for Spring Break. It was right then when Kevin and I got the same thought, and we asked the kids if they wanted to go camping. Every single one of them started jumping up and down and planning our camping adventure. We told them we would treat it like we really were camping somewhere and we would make all the food outside and sleep in a tent in the backyard and even go on a hike, just like we would if we were camping at a camp site.
We picked Tuesday to Wednesday to camp, because Kevin didn't have to work those days and the weather was going to be pretty perfect. Around 10:00 Tuesday morning, all the kids helped to bring out all of our camping stuff. Big Sis and M&M helped me set the tent up, while Monster and Little A got all the camping chairs set around our fire pit. Kevin went out to get charcoal for our dutch ovens and some of the groceries we needed for our meals. We had everything set up before lunch time and enjoyed lunch out in the camping chairs by our tent and fire pit.
After lunch, we packed a backpack with water and candies and decided we were going to hike to the Landstuhl castle. When we normally go on hikes when we camp, we always have a destination, so we knew the kids would enjoy actually going to a destination rather than just going around in the forest behind the house. The GPS said that the hike should only take about 40 minutes, but I guess we made too many stops and Little Monster has little legs, so it took us an hour to get to the castle.
We didn't stay at the castle very long. In fact, I completely forgot that Big Sis and M&M had cello and violin Skype lessons, so Kevin took the two older girls and they ran all the way home to make it back in time for Big Sis's lessons at 4:30. Luckily there is an alarm on my phone that goes off to remind me of all the Skype and Zoom lessons that the kids have right now, so they made it back just in time for lessons. Monster, Little A and I took our time walking back and just enjoyed the forest as we walked slowly home. Luckily, I had the backpack with the candy, so I just had to keep bribing them with candy to keep going. We had a really great two hour hike.
When we got back home, while the girls were having their lessons, Kevin and I started the fire. We knew it would take a while for the charcoal to get hot enough to use on the dutch ovens, and we didn't want to be eating dinner at 7pm. Big Sis got done and helped me make the peach cobbler in the dutch oven. Kevin and I had hamburgers, so we double stacked the dutch ovens that we have and had the hamburgers right on top of the peach cobbler. I seriously LOVE my dutch ovens. I actually use the top one for my every day cooking on the stove. It's great if I have a meal that needs to be on the stove first, then put in the oven, I just use the same pan to cook it then stick it right in the oven.
While Kevin and I waited for the hamburgers to cook, we helped the kids spear hot dogs and roast those over the fire. They loved it and Monster got the biggest laugh from putting a hot dog on a stick, since he hasn't done that before. The hamburgers were done not long after we had all the hot dog warm and ready. We enjoyed eating dinner around our amazing Korea table.
Camping would not be complete without S'mores, so right after dinner, we all roasted some marshmallows and enjoyed the glorious flavours of graham crackers, chocolate and roasted marshmallows. Monster actually doesn't really like the taste of s'mores, but he loves roasting marshmallows, so before I knew it he had packed four s'mores on my plate. Don't mind if I do!
As it was almost bed time, we spent about an hour doing our Come, Follow Me church devotional around the fireplace. We are learning about the Holy Week of Jesus Christ and each of the kids read a parable that Jesus taught. They each drew a picture of their parable, then we all shared the pictures and stories of Jesus Christ around the fire. I absolutely love learning about the gospel of Jesus Christ from my kids. It has been so wonderful to take the time to focus on Christ this week. Since this is the week before Easter we had plenty of time to focus fully on our Savior. I just know that without COVID and home isolation, we would have been travelling this week in Holland, and we wouldn't have given the Savior as much time as he deserves this week. It's been such a special week spending about an hour of each day, talking, learning and focusing on the last week of Christ's life and get a more full understanding of His atonement. I know that I felt the spirit of the Lord tonight, and I know that my kids did too.
When we were done learning about Teaching Tuesday (what we call the last Tuesday of Jesus Christ life when he taught all the parables), it was past Monster's bedtime. We already had the tent and cots set up, so we read some books, and Monster went to sleep, happy and warm. Now, I can't say the same for me. Kevin and I ended up getting to bed about 11:00. We stayed up talking around the fire pit and just enjoying the fire and the crisp air and the stars in the sky. When we went to bed at 11:00, it was freezing. I had a sleeping bag and a blanket and I couldn't stop shivering. I was so cold that I just couldn't fall asleep. Monster came to my rescue about an hour later when he woke up crying and saying that his legs hurt. Poor guy, our 2 hour hike was just a little too much for him. I willingly offered to take him inside and give him ibuprofen. I insisted he would sleep better inside, so I would just have to stay with him and would make that sacrifice, hehehe. Monster took a while to get to sleep, probably about the time it took for the medicine to take affect. I rubbed out his legs and just tried to calm him down. I went ahead and just slept on the floor in his room. It was the floor, but it was warm!
Around 4:00, Big Sis and M&M also came walking in the house. They were exhausted and said they had been up for the past hour just shivering and not able to sleep, so they had said, screw this and came inside to warm beds. The one kid, who surprisingly wanted to stay out and begrudgingly came inside, was Little A. Kevin was freezing and with everyone else in the house, he woke her up and said it was time to go inside. She said no way, she was camping. He finally explained he was cold, so she said fine, but she was coming back out in the morning. I love my little adventure seeking Little A. Everyone got to their warm beds by 4:30, and I went downstairs to my own bed with Kevin. Everyone ended up sleeping in until past 8:00, even Monster. We had a great day camping and hiking. The kids absolutely loved it and already asked if we can camp again. We will, but it needs to be warmer at night, or we need new sleeping bags.
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