gone campin'

You may have noticed (via good ol'  twitter) that my family and I slipped away at the beginning of the week... for a spontaneous little camping trip. What a treat to have uninterrupted time with my husband and children. The adventure of sleeping in a tent and roasting your dinner and dessert over a fire can't be beat.

My mother made sure she got us out of the city and into the woods as much as possible. My family now lives with the woods nestled all around us, and I've often asked myself, "Do we really need to pack up a carload of stuff  for a camping trip?"  Yes! Our lives are spent far too plugged in. Being together without distractions is the most important gift we can give those we love. We even left our clocks (cell phones) in the car and used the sun for determining what time of day it was. The spot we chose had lovely hikes, a perfect lake, and early, wild blueberries growing near our tent. Heaven! I even did the unheard of in my usual day to day: read a book from cover to cover!  I'll be the first to admit that blog writing/reading has had a detrimental impact on my lifelong book habit... so this might have been the highlight of the trip for me, truly.  (It was a fantastic and moving book that my son had just finished, and I can't recommend it more highly to all 10+ and up folks: Out of My Mind. )

An awesome ending to our camping was coming home and not having to make dinner! Through the woods and over the hill to grandma's house we went! She's working on some new dining table plans... again. Since feeding us seems to be a huge part of all of our time at the barn, comfortable seating is of the utmost importance. Here's a shot of the picnic table relocated to inside... it's still in w.i.p. stage, but I think it has wonderful potential!

We're all refreshed (well fed) and gearing up for a weekend of fun with visiting friends. Do you have any upcoming adventures planned?


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 Make, Grow, Gather is continuing her wonderful series to take back summer: Lazy Summer with stories, projects, and give-aways that reflect that bit of magic we all love about this special time of year.Today, you'll find my picnic bowl strap featured. Thanks for inviting me to join in, Kelly!