It's Tuesday

So far I have Riley and Anthony's bags packed and in the back of the van. Four of the kids and I are leaving Thursday morning and driving to the Black Hills. We'll meet up with my brother and his kids, my cousin Tim & his wife and his kids and my uncle Toby and his wife and kids. There might be others going too but those are the ones I know about. I'm not usually a camping fan but my brother grew up camping and knows all the 'survival skills'. Like how to start a fire, put up a tent, fish, and make brownies over a campfire. I always feel completely safe wherever he is.

I'm looking forward to a really relaxing weekend. I'm taking all the middle kids so I won't need to keep an eye on Sophia. Another bonus is that as long as I'm with my brother, he just takes charge so I don't have to. I don't realize how much responsibility rests on my shoulders until I take it off for a while. Since I hardly ever feel that way so it's nice to let my body relax for a while. The kids can play with cousins, fish, swim and just have fun outside. My brother takes care of paying for the camping site so all I have to do is get there. We all take hot dogs, buns, sandwich meat and eggs. Between that and the fish they catch, no one goes hungry. It's a trip that fits my budget well!

We'll be camping until Sunday and then we'll trek back into Rapid City. We'll spend the night there and then I'll take all four kids, yes, I said ALL four kids to Kids Camp just outside of Rapid. They can register at 1pm so I'll stick around long enough to get them settled in and then I'll head home. It makes packing a bit more complicated but it's worth it.

I was only going to send two kids but was convinced by a few people to go ahead and send all four. Since they're so close in age, they'll all be attending the same week of camp. It's the only year that will happen. Brittney has cheer camp that week so she'll be home at night but gone during the day. The church is giving the kids scholarships to be able to attend camp so I decided to take them up on it. The older and wiser I get, the more willing I am to accept help. I decided that the kids shouldn't have to miss camp just because I can't afford to send them myself and I'm too proud to accept help. I loved kid's camp when I was a kid and I know my kids feel the same way. It's fun, keeps them busy, let's them meet new friends and hopefully draws them into a closer relationship with God.

I'll admit, the biggest reason for finally giving in and letting all four kids go to camp was the vision of an entire four days with only Sophia at home! Selfish, I know. But that's how I'm rolling next week ;)
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