Camping Used to be Fun

"I love to camp!!!", says Lincoln.

This last week I reflected back on my adventurous single days. I used to love to camp, hike, etc etc. Since we've moved to Texas, we've done a little camping but not as much as we used to cause we don't really know any good spots or any people that know good spots and don't really know how to camp Texas style. Anyway, I decided that despite our lack of knowledge about there area, we were long past due for an adventurous camping experience so I planned a little excursion for us. We left on Friday after Matt got home. The drive to Huntsville State Park was BEAUTIFUL. The sun was getting low on the horizon. We drove through the back roads that were lined with lush, tall trees, white fences, and beautiful green fields with roaming cattle. The camp site was also quite beautiful. The trees here are the one thing that Houston has that Utah doesn't and I wish it did. My hopes were high for a great experience.

Gotta watch out for those mosquitoes!!

Things started out OK. We got our tent set up and then got ready to make some great tin foil dinners. Matt tried to start a fire, but the air was so heavy with humidity, all the available kindling was just too damp. He got frustrated and gave up. I decided to just stuff the tee pee of wood with as much paper as I could and eventually I got the fire started. After we got the fire started, we realized we had brought everything for the tin foil dinners except the tin foil so we we resorted to eating some brats instead.

Matt starting a fire the next morning just to prove to himself

that he could start a fire after his failure the previous night.

Unfortunately everyone and their dog (two dogs in our case) decided to go camping at Huntsville State Park this weekend. I much prefer more remote/isolated camping where you're not sure if anyone could hear you if you screamed but since we have a baby now, I thought for his first camping experience, we should probably stay a little closer to civilization just in case. I think that was a bad choice. Our dogs barked at everyone that walked by on their way to the bathroom and our baby had a hard time falling asleep and was keeping everyone awake who wasn't already awake from our barking dogs. I was totally embarrassed.

Lincoln loving camping and his fist.

Despite the noise, the swampy heat was almost more than we could handle. Matt and I laid in our tent as we dripped with sweat and just laughed hysterically at how awful our experience had been. At the risk of getting bitten by millions of mosquitoes, I finally had to put my feet out the tent door for some temperature regulation. After laying there trying to sleep in the heat with a fussy baby and barking dogs I just gave up and told Matt that we were packing up and going home. He refused to pack up so I laid back down with my feet out the door. The dogs and the baby finally calmed down and we all drifted off into a sweaty sleep. When Matt and I woke up, we were amazed that we had made it through the night and that I had only suffered two or three bug bites. I was glad we had stayed just cause I hate being a sissy, but I think it might be a while before I get the itch to go camping again (unless it's in Utah).

Lincoln and mom enjoying the view from the dock