Deployment Day 197: A short camping trip

We drove a little over an hour away to camp at a nearby State park with a few families from our neighborhood bible study. I honestly dreaded going for a couple of reasons. One, camping is something Michael and I LOVE to do together as a family. I could not imagine going without him. Two, I did not want to go with other families who had their husband and dad there and only have the longing increase to excruciating. Three, it was supposed to be very cold...and it was...and I did not have Michael to hold me tight and keep me warm :(

I did however have Noelle in a sleeping bag with me for fear she would get cold. I am thankful I had her snuggled up with me. She is a good little heater just like her daddy. It got very cold last night that I hardly slept because I kept checking on Noelle to be sure she stayed warm. In the morning it was hard to get out of bed.  The girls slept in late. They had buried themselves deep inside their sleeping bags and feared coming out into the cold air. I actually brought them breakfast to their tents and some hot tea to warm them up enough to come out. They finally came out and finished their breakfast in front of the fire. After breakfast we went on a short hike down to the lake.

One of the father's on the trip enjoys bird watching. He came with binoculars and a world of information about the birds in the area. This morning we saw an eagle perched on a branch out on the lake. It was quite a sight. Here is Alexis checking out the eagle.

We all enjoyed the hike and our morning on the beach. After spending an hour on the beach it was time to return to our campsite to tear down camp and head home. We got back to camp and packed up pretty quickly. I had to come home to get some school work done and prepare for Sunday morning. It was  a pleasant night away with the kiddos and friends. I am exhausted after a poor night of sleep but thankful for the time with my children. They loved every minute of it.

Looking at the pictures from today make me both happy and sad. I am thankful for the moments I shared with my children this weekend but I long to to share these moments with Michael. You are thought of all the time. We miss you Michael Kay!

~ Angela