The Great Outdoors

We had the wonderful experience of camping as a family last week. Going into the camping trip, I had many emotions. Most of all, I thought I was a bit crazy to be attempting tent camping with a 5 month old, 3 year old, and 5 year old. In addition to that, we really didn't have sufficient supplies. I came to peace with knowing I would not get much sleep and I went into it with no expectations. To my surprise, it was a great experience for everyone and I was the only one that lacked sleep. 
I think camping is a wonderful experience for children. Today, we are used to having technology at our fingertips and many means of entertainment. It was nice to be outside for 24 hours. Neither of the girls complained or were bored at any point of the day. The day was spent fishing, exploring, swimming, and eating. We all stayed up late and woke up way too early. As a parent, I got such satisfaction out of how the girls were able to entertain themselves and not once complain. It brings me back to the philosophy that less is better. At home, we can't go through a day without many arguments and statements of boredom. This didn't happen once while camping.
It was a lot of fun just having each other without any interruptions. This experience will be a great memory for all of us and will definitely do it again.
My favorite memories I will take from this camping trip are:
Morgan's perseverance to catch a fish. We were surrounded by fish. We could see them jumping and we had 3 poles in the water all day. However, we also had children throwing rocks in the water, wading in the water, and 2 labs sloshing through the lake.
Sitting by the fire staring at the stars with Ella.
Maya not throwing one fit.
The bird parents that had a nest right above our picnic area. I never knew baby birds ate so much and am very happy that my own children don't eat constantly like that even though it feels like they do!
And most of all uninterrupted family time.
We were very fortunate to go on this adventure with friends. Our experience was so much richer and happier because of that!