The First Ever Sears Family Camping Trip

Two weekends ago my husband decided the weather was in perfect condition here in Kansas to take me camping for the first time in my life. I was a little hesitant - not because I didn't think I would like camping - but because I didn't want to try to sleep in a tent with my 2 year old. Anyway, I put those anxieties aside and decided to dive in with all of the excitement I could muster up. I went to Target and purchased some fun camping foods including oatmeal cream pies, hot dogs, smores ingredients, Sprite for Stone, and even eggs and bacon to cook over the fire for breakfast on Saturday...

Friday around 5:30pm we headed out. The camping site was only about 35 minutes from our house so we arrived around 6:30pm. For those who are doing the math, we had to stop for gas and for Chet to get some live bait with which he and Stone could fish. We set up the tent and started the fire while the kids played with their new camping toys. They each were allowed to choose one toy at Target to take camping. Shortly after that, we roasted hot dogs and made mashed potatoes - the kind where you only add water! That was fun. The kids and Chet went for a walk while I cleaned up dinner and got the smores ingredients ready to roast. When they got back we made smores. It was fun but since the kids wouldn't eat but a few bites of theirs (only my children wouldn't eat those!) Chet and I suffered and ate the rest...

All was well... then came bedtime. We got in the tent around 9pm. Clothes were changed into pajamas and the kids settled down pretty quickly. We layed there while Chet cleaned up the site and then got in. Well, Stahley decided that since daddy was in the tent now, it was party time!! She ran around the tent and jumped on us and had the time of her life... until 11:30pm. I wasn't very happy with her and neither was her daddy:) Everytime we tried to make her lay down she had a crying fit as loud as I have ever heard her and we had neighbors - so we tried to settle her with pleasant discipline. This doesn't work with a strong-willed child, apparently!! So, at 11:30pm she calmed down and we finally got to doze off (or on and off in my case)....

...until about 3:30am. Lightning struck nearby and Chet sat straight up, immediately. I just layed there knowing my experienced husband would know what to do. Mind you, we are in KS where the weather proves to be completely unpredictable. This lightning went on for about 30 minutes, but still no rain. Chet decided to go to the car and see if he could get a weather report on the radio. In less than 2 minutes (and the car wasn't too close) I saw the headlights headed for our tent. The site was a good ways from the road where you were supposed to drive, so I figured we were leaving. Chet got out of the car and ran toward the tent. I think his exact words were,

"Tennis ball sized hail predicted. We are leaving NOW!"

We promptly picked up the kids and put them in the car. Chet folded up the tent with everything in it and shoved it in the back of the vehicle. We drove home in the pouring rain and dime-sized hail with very little visibility.

We slept until 10:45am on Saturday.