A Warm Winter Campout

The children love camping. It’s kind of a hassle to pack up the camping gear, drive to a beautiful campground, find a secluded spot, unpack the camping gear, sleep on the cold hard ground, pack up the camping gear, come home, and put away the mess. We’ve found a solution that works great for our family.

There aren’t many campsites that are more beautiful and private than our own back yard. In the summer, we often have a tent set up in the trees behind the house. We can camp anytime we want with all the conveniences of home. John and the children even built a fire pit so we can roast marshmallows and make tin foil dinners.

If some children would rather sleep inside, they can. Other children like to sleep outside almost every night. There’s something refreshing about sleeping under the stars in the cool night air.

Many people leave home to get away from the hustle and bustle of life. We’re a little backwards in that respect. We come home to escape the busy life.

Cache Valley winters are a little too cold for comfortable camping, so the children improvise. Last week, Joshua and Jonathan set up a tent in the family room. Right now it’s full of floor pillows and blankets. I guess they want to be comfortable while they sleep - so much for sleeping on the cold, hard ground. If they’re going to camp in a heated room, they might as well be comfortable.

Sometimes they play in the tent. They also go to bed in the tent. Sleeping in a bed just isn’t as much fun as camping in a tent.