Okay, okay...so I have had this account for a while now. I guess it is finally time to start blogging. Since I joined Facebook recently I am amazed at all of my new and old friends with blogs. I am SO IMPRESSED by their blogs and a tad bit intimidated, but I guess I need to get on the bandwagon and go for it...Kyle & Kent had their first camping experience the first week of July. (actually June 30th-July 4th to be exact) Camping is an awesome childhood memory of mine. Of course it is natural for me to want them to experience this too. After all...what's that saying? "Family's who camp together stay together?" So...it all started with my Dad retiring in June of 2007 from Nissan after being there for I think something like 28 years. Once he retired he had talked about getting a camper. He finally decided to get one after my 12 year old, Collin, was asked by a Brentwood baseball team to join them as their 11th and final player in Cooperstown, NY for tournaments. This is a week long baseball experience and a dream come true for Collin and OF COURSE he is going. Both myself and my parents are not going to miss going and watching him. (my brother Jay is going too) We started researching hotels and they are all at least $200 a night or more!! GEES! That is when my dad decided to get a camper to cut the cost BIG TIME! More on Cooperstown later in another blog...So we have the camper and my parents had an opportunity to take a reservation from someone my mom works with. He had to cancel his spot, so mom thought why not take it and make this a trial run before NY since we last camped when I was 7 or younger. We ended up camping in Defeated Creek Park at Cordell Hull Lake in Cathage, TN. It is far enough away to feel like a vacation, but close enough to home that we could come back if needed. 
Since Greg was at a night class, me and the little guys, Kyle and Kent, went to the campsite on June 30th when they first arrived to see where it was, help set up, etc. We got home late that night after having a few fun hours at the camp. My family (minus one) arrived at Mom and Dad's campsite on Wednesday, July 2nd. Christian was already there with both of my parents and my brother, Jay, since Monday, June 30th. 
I never realized how much work camping is. I guess that was because I was the child the last time we camped. Whew... Anyways... Wednesday night we stayed outside in our tent and Thursday night we stayed in the camper because my brother Jay and Christian went home for the night. We had fun having both experiences, outside and in. 
The boys loved the sandy playground that was VERY CLOSE to our campsite. 
I loved the sunsets!!!!
The boys had a blast riding their bikes during the day and at dusk!
We decided to take a walk to the "beach" there at the lake. The boys had never been in a lake before or anything other than a swimming pool. They were excited! We put their lifejackets on (that were quickly taken off because it really wasn't needed) and they had their little fishing nets ready to play! The water was COLD and was made beach-like with the water gradually getting deeper as you go in. The deepest it went was 5 1/2 feet. I am not a fan at all on any kind of water that is not clean and clear, so I stayed in only to get them settled and sat on the bench with my dad while they played a while. (I did keep my opinions to myself about my feelings of lake water. I wanted them to gather their own opinions without my influence) The boys did get bored rather quick and seemed to not like the lake water as much either. They did have fun and of course before we got their they were dying to go (you know how kids are..."can we go now?" "Is it time now?", etc.), but I noticed they didn't ask to go back.
The boys had a fun time with Granny and Papa cooking their hot dogs and later on their marshmellows. 
Here they are all snuggled and ready for bed. This definitely beats sleeping in the tent like the night before. It took the boys a few hours to even fall asleep in the tent because every time they heard a little noise they would ask me what it was. I think I got a total of TWO HOURS of sleep that night. Between Collin's sleep talking and Kent's night terrors and the air mattress going flat after only two hours of laying on it...IT WAS A LONG NIGHT! I was surely ready for this night to sleep IN the camper. And guess what? We all slept at least 10 hours!! We were all just exhausted!
Seeing this image of a traffic light brings back a sweet memory of the past. I was in the car with Christian & Collin. I even remember exactly where we were at the time. We were sitting at the red light turning left onto the little cut off road that takes you to Old Nashville Hwy in Smyrna right past Smyrna High School off of Nissan Blvd. Collin looked up and said, "MOMMA LOOK!" He was three years old at the time. Collin said, "That is US Momma!" I then asked what he was talking about and he said, "the red light, momma, that is you, me & 
Christian." At that moment I looked up at the red light and realized what he was talking about. Of course, my heart filled up with love right at that very moment! How sweet was that? Why he said that is because of our favorite colors. Mine is RED. (there were a few wild years in high school where I loved purple too) Collin's favorite color is Yellow and Christian's is Green. That was just the sweetest little moment that day that I have not forgotten it and hope I never do. 
