Camping Makes You Grateful

We're back from a weekend spent camping about an hour north of Payson (roughly 2.5 hours east and north from home), near Potato Lake at about 7200 feet. Jason has wanted to take me camping since we got married five years ago (he claims even before then, but I don't remember...) and I finally gave in. I had a nice time, but I learned a lot of things to be grateful for in my life.

#1. A separate sleeping space for your dog- All of our dog sitters were out of town, so we brought Toby with us. He did okay, but had a few problems. First, there were a lot of kids chasing him, after about twenty times of that he started growling and biting. Second, it was so cold we couldn't let him sleep in the truck, so he slept in the tent. Night 1- he pees in the tent, dumb dog. We put him outside to finish his business and he runs off into the night, infuriating dog. Jason throws clothes on and goes after him. Night 2- we don't let him eat or drink after noon. No problems. Third, it was so cold he slept like a ball at my feet, making it impossible for me to move around- he wasn't budging. Apparently, five pounds can be rather imposing when it wants to be. To deal with the cold during Day 2 he spent the entire day rolled in my coat on my lap (see photo on left).

#2. A bed that doesn't deflate over time- somehow, our Aero bed got a leak during Night 2. After five minutes, we were sleeping on the floor of the forest, enough said. However, we did have a rather spacious tent (see photo on left).

#3. Running water- no portapotties at our campsite. Enough said there.

#4. A husband who wants to make you happy- Jason worked so hard to make sure I had a good time. My needs and wants were number 1 for him. He was so sweet and kept making sure I was having a good time. (See photo on right of Jason shooting bee bee guns with the boys.)

#5. Friends- we went with some other families in the ward and had a great time together.

#6. Sleeping in warm weather- I know, I'm a wimp. But, I'm an Arizonan THROUGH AND THROUGH so, just deal with it. I prefer being warm to freezing in a tent trying to steal some semblance of warmth from your husband while he sleeps. After Night 2 it was 37 degrees at 6 am. 37, yes, I said 37 degrees in JUNE! We haven't seen that in Queen Creek in a long time. I think it's almost 3 times that temperature right now.

#7. Having fun with your husband- One of our friend's almost-brother-in-law brought his quads with him. Jason and I went for a few rides and had a great time. (see photo on right that we took ourselves) We also did a night walk (mostly for Toby) , lots of visiting and some downright mean cuddling (see #6).

#8. Sunblock and contacts- I sported glasses and minimal makeup all weekend. I came home with a sunburn like a raccoon. I made sure to find some sort of hat for girls camp to not repeat the experience.

#9. Food that a man cooks- We split up meals with the other families. Each family had one meal and I was very pleased with our helpful husbands getting to work. Jason brought a LARGE grill from work that everyone was able to use. (See photo on left of Jason and Brandon making burritos and burgers- note logo for Jason's work on the grill)

#10. The beautiful world Heavenly Father created for me- Bottom line, everything was beautiful. Waking up to the birds and woodpeckers is nothing like smacking an alarm over the sound of your three fans running at full blast in your room. Enjoying the outdoors with family and friends is better than a quiet trip with the iPod. No time commitments, no watches and no schedule beats rushing through all of your commitments with no time to enjoy any of it. (see all photos below)

And, most importantly, I'm grateful for this chance I had to remember all that I do have to be grateful for in my life.