A Camping We Will Go... A Camping We Will Go... Hi-Ho-The-Merry-O.... A Camping We Will Go

Every year since I can remember, our family has had a family reunion on the 4th of July weekend at my Grandpa's farm. We camp out in his hay field on the banks of a river and just have a good ole' time.

This year my husband got home from Texas around midnight on Wednesday. We drove 14 hours (or quite possible 140 hours, it all seems to run together)on Thursday and showed up at the farm around 11:30pm.

And we were exhausted.

My parents had already set up a tent for us complete with mattress pads (we are getting old and don't enjoy sleeping on the ground so much anymore) and sheets. My brother and sister-in-law had arrived a couple hours before us and my sister and her family arrived about 45 minutes after us. Several of my cousins and my Aunt and Uncle were already set up at the campground in their tents.

We headed on down to the campground and got settled in our tent.

About 10 minutes later, my 3 year old decided she needed to go to the bathroom. What she did not have the experience to realize is that when one is camping out, one tries very hard to just hold it the rest of the night instead of getting out of the tent and making a visit to the outhouse.

I could not convince her that she could just hold it. And then my 7 year old decided he needed to go too, so I just figured I needed to get it over with.

My Grandpa made a very nice outhouse many years ago for our biological needs when we are camping out. It is a 2 seater and actually has 2 very nice genuine white toilet seats.

But in the middle of the night, you have to use your flashlight to make your way through the dewy grass to the outhouse that may or may not have spiders and snakes and insects lurking in the corners.

It's very easy to let your imagination run wild in the dark. In an outhouse.

So we took care of all the needs and made our way back to our tent where we got settled in for the night.



I thought we would finally get some much needed rest.


Was I ever wrong.



About 2:00am we started to hear some drops of rain on the top of our tent.

We weren't worried. We had camped out in rain before.

About 20 minutes later, we were starting to get a little worried. The rain was coming down pretty hard and we were starting to hear thunder and see lightning in the distance. My daughter was screaming every time it thundered and she would have joined me inside my shirt had I let her.

At this point we thought there was a good chance we were going to have to bail and head back to the farm house for the rest of the night.

Just then there was a huge gust of wind and the rain canopy part of our tent blew off partway. We started taking on water. Everything started getting wet. The kids were yelling and we were rolling up sleeping bags and pushing everything to the center of the tent (away from the walls) as fast and furious as we could.

Then both sides of the tent collapsed in on us.

Fortunately the middle pole was still standing. We were trying to figure out how we were going to get all our kids and luggage back in the car without getting every single thing we owned completely wet and muddy.

Unbeknownst to me, at this same time, my sister and her family were in their car wondering why we were not in our car. They were worried about the lightening. Apparently one of the guys my brother-in-law works with was surveying in the mountains recently and found a family who were camping and had been struck by lightening. It killed both parents and the kids were all in shock when he found them.

I just about threw up when I heard this. The next day.

So, my dad had said if it started to rain, he would drive down from the farmhouse to check on us.

I heard a vehicle driving through the field and knew it must be my dad coming to the rescue. I grabbed our flashlight and did my best S.O.S. out our tent window.

He came to the rescue with an umbrella and carried the kids to the dry van. We were able to get out all our luggage and most of the linens and one of the sleeping pads and then headed up to the farm house.

My sister and her family and several cousins all came up to sleep at the house also. There were sleeping bags and bodies everywhere. Some of my cousins ended up sleeping in their cars and I think my brother and sister-in-law also ended up in their car only because my brother was worried about the river rising above the banks. Their tent held through the storm.

My family ended up sleeping in two twin beds pushed together to make a king. My sister and her family were in the same small room also sleeping on two twin beds pushed together. We were just grateful to be sleeping somewhere dry.

One of my Uncles said the next day that it looked like some sort of crime scene.

There was stuff everywhere. Everyone was trying to get their linens and clothes and pillows all dried out. It was crazy.

But we ended up having a great visit. And we have summed it up to a great bonding experience.

But I think I am ~good~ on the whole bonding thing. I'll be just happy if it never rains on us while camping again.

Good times.


P.S. As my dear sister-in-law has pointed out in the comments... I do have pictures of the outhouse. And there was a snake involved...and maybe a dance to avoid being bitten..... even though I never actually saw the snake that my husband said he saw..... okay, so I was taking the picture of the outhouse and he yelled "SNAKE" and I tried desperately to keep my feet off the ground because I had no idea where the snake was....... and it might have been interpreted as some kind of crazy dance........but back to the topic at hand.....I have no way to upload the pics of the outhouse at this point.... I will post them once I get back home to Atlanta.... I'm sure all three of you will be anxiously awaiting.......

P.S.S And yes, when we were standing in our collapsed tent....... in the rain ......and my dad came up to the tent in his raincoat and umbrella and was carrying the kids to safety....... I actually thought, that would make a GREAT picture. But I just don't think my husband would have thoroughly appreciated the necessity of capturing this experience on film. In fact, I'm pretty sure he would not have been amused.