Camping--4 Years Later

Four years ago, we went on a camping trip with some good friends.  Alan and Sam were both in med school, while Rachel and I were rocking the SAHM role to barely/almost three years old, and baby Abbie.  We had a wonderful time and have been trying to go again ever since.  But when you have two Medical Residents, two wives who don't boast the strongest health records, and four kids, well it's difficult to find a time when everybody can go.  Luckily, we found a weekend when both dads had a day off, so off we went.  It was wonderful.  The kids had a blast hiking, using Nate's metal detector (to find pennies that Alan and Sam secretly scattered), driving the tractor (we went to Sam's parents' property in northern WI), roasting hot dogs and marshmallows, making bows and arrows, and telling stories huddled in a tent while Sam accompanied on guitar.  I can't find words to express how beautiful it was to watch our children running, followed closely by their usually very busy dads.  It's a set of memories that I will always hold on to, memories that will always stir feelings of contentedness in my soul.

Here are a couple of photos from four years ago.  Look at how little Nate and Ella were!

This trip: