Re-Entry

I've pictures galore of the kids doing cute things this campout. There were campfires, a night at an amusement park, time at Portland Head Light, pool time, beach trips, boardwalk adventures (AKA their chance to decide how to use their money) and more.  We are all a bit sad to be home, and a day early due to a forecast of yucky weather coming in.  Breaking camp in the rain is not particularly pleasant, so though it was sad to leave late this morning before the rain, it was the right thing to do.  Sometimes I hate being a grown up though. I wanted to cry and wail and kick my feet and say NOOOOOOOO, Summer can't be over, I won't let it!

These nature shots from the weekend are a big part of what fuels me when things are busy stressful and hard.  Camping by necessity pares things down.  You have to decide what you really truly need and what is just extra fluff that we get used to.  I need a dishpan. I don't need a dishwasher, for instance.  I need a modest number of pans, not the luxurious amount of pans that I have here at home.  And I need time with family.  That is the best thing for me about camping.  We are sort of in each others pockets by necessity.  I am not a person who has big personal space issues obviously. This is the facet of camping that eventually drives my wife to long for home.  But for me, they are the most important memories that I take away from these excursions.  The elements of nature, and the elements of our family.  Entwined. Strong.  Beloved.

 Nature is powerful and so too are the bonds of connection and love that we have built as a family.  I watched Rob bring back two new friends to our campsite last night. The three sat late into the night by our campfire, talking and laughing.  I love watching the way he makes friends so easily in virtually any setting.  I love watching how he quietly shows his love in a million tiny ways to us all.

Nature is full of hidden beauty, like this goldfinch.  And camping gives time for me to further explore the personalities of my family that are sometimes hidden in our day to day hustle and bustle.  Lissa is ferociously independent but camping knits us together in ways that normal family life does not.  KC is somewhat timid but found the independance that some facets of camping afforded him were really cool.  Chet was entranced by the colors of mystical fire; I will treasure always the quiet look on the face of my son who so rarely looks peaceful and calm. It was  a time too for my wife and I to reconnect. Time to just talk and ruminate in the quiet of firelight.

So now, it is back to laundry and chores, home making, and hearth tending as we prepare to head into a busy fall.