Camping Trip

Here's the 4 year-old "little man" on his first real camping trip. Braden and Jason went camping together in Whitney last Saturday. They had been marking off days on the calendar since February 1st, and that is a long time for a 4 year-old to wait! Braden has been all about the outdoors lately, especially about guns. Jason bought him a BB gun before they left, so Braden was in heaven. Jason says he must have shot a million BB's during their trip.

Here's the story as I heard it upon return. They picked a perfect spot nestled at the back of the acreage, with a good bit of trees breaking the wind. (It was quite cold last weekend!) Braden went hunting for rocks to go around the campfire while Jason set up the tent. They gathered firewood together until they got a good pile. Braden was eager to shoot his gun, so Jason gave a hunter's safety course as they shot at cans and a 5-gallon bucket. Braden was wearing safety glasses to ease my worrying mind. They walked all around the place and shot at almost everything. Then, they cooked chili dogs for supper. Braden said he was tired, so he got his flashlight and headed for the tent. It seems that there were many things he had to check on with his flashlight, so he was up and down several times. They did go to bed early and they both say that they stayed warm. Sunday morning held a cooked breakfast: bacon, eggs, and cheese on a tortilla. They continued to walk around the place shooting at different things, and of course just shooting to shoot. Jason says that Braden handled the gun very well. He learned about the safety and how to carry the gun safely. They returned early afternoon with wind-chapped faces and stinking of the great outdoors.

I'm still not sure who got more out of the trip. Jason is still talking about how cool it was to take his son out and talk to him about stuff, and to teach him things as well. Braden loved being away, and he loved the freedom and the quiet. I'm sure this will become a tradition, and more than once a year. Actually, Landry and I voiced that we would like to join them once it is a little warmer outside! What a great weekend for father and son!

If you're wondering about the girls... Well, I read the same five books to my little shadow at least one million times. Landry was a little clingy all weekend after her surgery. She was attached at the hip and not wanting to budge at all. Amazingly, I took advantage of this and did some resting myself. I thought to myself, "She is not going to be this size ever again, and she probably won't want to depend on me much longer, so I better enjoy it!"

This week has been a busy one. Valentine's related "this" and church related "that" means you blink and realize it's already Thursday evening. Whew! My grandparents flew here from Montana today, so I'll try to visit with them some on the weekend. Isn't there always something going on?