Very, very eventful trip!

Camping was something else. Seriously.
I don't like camping. I like seeing our friends while camping, but all the rest of it I could live without. Forever.
We went with 5 other families, but only two of us are unlucky enough to have to tent camp. Fun times. Even though we apparently have the Taj Mahal of tents, it is still not cool. Our tent has 4 rooms, each room holds a queen size bed. We are tight, and usually have a second tent for the older boys, but everyone has to come check it out because it is so big. It is a really cool tent, I admit.

So, we pull up to the campgrounds about 7:30, not having had supper yet. So we get the grill going while we hurriedly start setting up the tent and screen tent. The tent is huge, but it is actually not to hard to put together with a few able bodies. But the screen tent is a pain, no directions and no logic to it. The rods are color coded, but still don't logically go together. So we had several families over trying to all put the poles together, rearranging, etc. Over a hot grill, lol.

We finally got it all up as it was getting dark, and Donnie had the boys go tighten up the rain tarps in the back of the tent. (they apparently did not hear that) We even managed to eat before it got too dark out. But that was about all the time we had before it was bed time. I only had 3 of my own children with us, but there were 5 kids. Kaytlin, Trinity and Sam, plus Kaytlin's boyfriend, Peter and our fake son, Brian.

After jammies, a last potty run and teeth brushing we settled the little two down while the big kids played games quietly outside. The little two screamed and screamed that they wanted to go home. After about an hour or so I got sick of it and snapped. OK, truly I snapped long before bedtime, I hate camping, remember? "If I give you two a treat, with you just shut UP???" They agreed, so I trudged out to the truck and got them a treat. One glow stick each. I figured it would occupy them for awhile and then they'd crash. Well, I was partly right. They were occupied. For a LONG time, and didn't crash quickly at all. Neither did I. Because glow sticks in a dark tent are like halogen lights when put in front of your face. You can't sleep through that. Not even kidding.

So, we finally get to sleep, and I made it through the night fairly unscathed and rested. Then comes morning. I got coffee, and Kaytlin made breakfast while Donnie went to town to get some Yard Guard so I would shut up about the mosquitoes that eat DEET for breakfast. (not kidding!)

We get things settled and walk off to start visiting with friends. I played cards with some friends while Donnie went fishing with the men, and the little kids played nicely and the teens went off somewhere else for board games. Then it started...........

The down pouring. Drenching, soaking, pouring rain. With thunder and lightening. And our tent windows were open. We booked it back to the tent, but had forgotten the dinosaur at the neighboring site so had to go find it fast, then back to the tent to close windows. (yes, it WAS that important to a 2 year old) Whew! Not much water got in the windows!

However, that was when we discovered the tent wasn't tightened in the back. Or stacked down. Mmmmhmmm. Poor Donnie was off doing that in the driving rain while the boys were off playing board games in someone else's nice dry camper.

Just as Donnie was getting dry the teens showed up for food. There was no cooking over a fire or grill from inside a tent, so we had to venture out for food. While out we also got a third air mattress for the boys. I wasn't sure the tent floor would stay dry for them to sleep on again.

Supper was a potluck in a nice, dry shelter with the whole group. After the yummy food we played games late into the night. Lots and lots of fun! That is the part I love, the fellowship. Plus, I finally beat Sarah at Yahtzee Free For All! Woohoo!

Back to the rainy tent to try to get the little ones down for the night. Thankfully we had a few videos and the laptop and they crashed. (we didn't have videos the first night, we caved and bought them) The big kids of the group took Peter and Brian snipe hunting. It was Brian's second time hunting Snipe and he was not pleased when he found out he had been snowed TWICE by their little game, lol. Oh, he was so mad! I laughed so hard I was crying! Peter thought it was funny, even though he was the butt of the joke, too. Brian admits it is a great joke, if he was on the other side of it, lol.

It really stormed Saturday night. The tent just couldn't take it much longer and we had some drips on us during the night, but thankfully not bad at all. But about sunup Donnie and I had to go to the bathroom, so we walked together early in the morning before the other campers were up for the day. On the way back my weekend took a turn for the better.

Donnie admitted to me that he HATES camping. He never wants to do it again. IF he ever does it again it will be in a hard side camper! OK, so you know the saying "Misery loves company?" Well, it is true! I was so delighted that he has never liked camping either that I was just giddy all morning! I even delighted in helping pack up!

But that is when the event took place.

Sam is our little runner, so we let him play in the truck cab while we were tearing down the tents. We were constantly walking by him and watching him. What could he do? The truck couldn't really go more than a couple of feet if he managed to get it out of gear. Well, Donnie was checking and caught him hanging on the rear view mirror and as he was telling him not to, the mirror came off and Sam dropped. When he didn't see any movement he opened the door and Sam was getting up, then came the scream and the spurting blood.

The mirror not only came down, it took part of the windshield with it. Yes, it broke off about half the thickness of the window with it! That punctured Sam's thigh and then fell and sliced the tip of his big toe. The toe was fine, but the thigh needed a stitch. On of our friends was there and went running next door to grab our friend who is an ER RN, and I screamed for Peter who is a lifeguard certified in First Aid, so he could grab his first aid kit. We got him all bandaged up and with the butterfly bandage hoped that it would stay together. But it didn't . We keep trying, but I think it is a lost cause, he's going to have a scar. But he won't mind, he's a boy.

Sound like fun?