Camping with the Girlscouts

When the Dr. showed me the tiny fluttery heart beat on the ultrasound machine, I pictured my life with a baby.  I imagined dressing the baby, feeding the baby, teaching the baby to talk, walk, etc.  I guess I never pictured anything past "baby", and I know I never imagined taking the baby on a camping trip.  Lighting a camp fire with the baby.  Getting eaten by mosquitos with the baby.  Doing Archery with the baby.  Riding horses with the baby.  And yet, there I was this weekend doing all these things on the most amazing camping trip I have ever experienced.  Yes, babyhood is great, and I loved every minute of it, but 8 is great too.

(Oh, and a warning, the past 8 years have flown by.  Those of you with six month olds probably can't imagine it, but in a few "days" you'll also have an 8 year old.)

I'm sure one of the things that made the camping experience "amazing" was the fact that my "baby", now 8 year old beauty queen to be C is one of the most wonderful campers ever.  She is flexible (an important trait in a camper), willing to try anything (also impressive) and sleeps through the night.  It astonishes me that there are 10 year olds who don't sleep through the night.  There's a goal to have, "By the time she's 10, I want her sleeping through the night".  Talk about setting the bar low!  But alas, I could post 8008 words on how great it was & how amazing it was to watch my great 8 climb a 45ft wall, but why not just post a photo?