In Which I Regale You With Happy Tales from our Camping Trip

Or not.

This post would be more accurately titled:

The Worst Camping Trip EVER

I am so serious.

It wasn't the campground. Although I would never go there again, because basically it was an RV park and that annoys me on many levels.

It wasn't the campfire, which we weren't able to have unless we rented a little contraption to hold the fire. So annoying.


It wasn't the nearby construction, nor the incessant beep-beep-beep noise from the trucks backing up or whatever it was they were doing all hours of the day.

It wasn't the fact that our kids woke up at 6 am every morning we were there. Maybe it was the beeping of those trucks?!?!

It wasn't the rain, although it did downpour (so no suncreen necessary, Dana!).

It wasn't a leak in our tent. Although there was a leak. But a quick trip to the store for an enormous tarp fixed that.

It wasn't the company. Although when we played Quiddler on Thursday afternoon I thought it just might come to blows over whether or not the words Mark and I were laying down were actually words. (What can I say? We play a lot of Scrabble. And they were words. We just didn't have a dictionary there to prove it.)

I could have handled all of that. Maybe not with a beaming smile and a great attitude, but I so could have done that. What made this the worst camping trip ever was this:

I got the stomach flu. First day. After lunch. Stacy sick. Apparent immediately: the flu.

Let's just say I spent a great deal of time in The Public Bathroom. Go ahead and picture the last camping locale you went to and imagine yourself there in that cold, airy, dirty cement structure of stalls. Nice, huh? So I was there, on the toilet. Or sitting on the one solitary bench in between trips to the toilet, and yes, LYING DOWN on that disgusting cement floor in a full feverish state. Mark and my mother- who intermittently kept watch over me- were appalled: "Get OFF that floor, Stacy! That is so gross." I tell you, I did not even care that it was likely the filthiest floor in the state. I just needed to lie down. And my bed was very, very far away. And also far away? The cozy rug on our bathroom floor at home. And the tent? Oh, well, the tent was a five-minute walk downhill in the pouring rain. So I promptly laid myself on the floor. At some point that evening I did make my way down to the tent but I did not sleep one second that night, I assure you. I dry-heaved in the bowl next to my "bed". And listened to the rain. And Mark snoring. And prayed that the sound of the rain pounding on the tarp might somehow lull me to sleep. It didn't.

Mercifully, sometime the following day (and just in time for that game of Quiddler), I was up and around. I still didn't have an appetite and I still felt queasy, but I was there. And can I just say for the zillionth time that I have a champ of a husband, who did all the meals and all the bathroom trips and bedtimes and every bit of everything with three kids camping while I was sick. And on top of all that he managed to walk me up the hill to the bathroom a few times, pray for me, and be there. I love that man.

And the kids had a grand time with their cousins, and loved the tent experience, rain and all, and so it was a favorable vacation for them. Although the last night Ella was in my arms weeping, "But I want to camp all over again so that you can be here and I can see you." But I think that was more because she was a tired little girl and she knew vacation was winding down and not really because she actually missed me all that much.

Some pictures?
My mom, with some OFF!, and that's our tent (who am I kidding? TARP) you see there in the background.

Roasting marshmellows for S'mores. (And I found out after we got there that my sister was responsible to bring S'mores for all of us, so I was off the hook to begin with! And believe you-me, that was the right decision, because my sister is SERIOUS about her S'mores. She does S'mores complete with the choice of Reeses Peanut Butter Cups or dark chocolate!)

Ella and me by the quasi-campfire

My handsome man




20 comments:

  1. Stacy,
    OOO! How awful! I'm glad your kids had a great time anyway. Too bad you didn't buy TWO tarps-- one to cover the tent and one for the lavatory floor.
    Welcome back... and I'll offer some prayers that no one else gets it!
    Annie
    www.homeschoolblogger.com/momco3

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ahh, sorry to hear that Stacy. I hope no one else gets sick.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Well, it sounds like fun! Except for the getting sick part. I'm so sorry, and hope no one else gets it. Just think, though, of the great story it will make, down the road!
    Bless you,
    Rebeca

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh Stacy! I hope you don't mind that I laughed at your flu story! Only because I know I would've done the same thing! "JUST LET ME DIE!!!!!!!"

    After that trip though, they can only get better right?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh I will never complain again. Never. You win the worst camping trip ever award. I am so sorry. At least I see dirt. What if you had to pitch a tent on a slab of cement? Not impossible I assure you.
    Praying the flu doesn't spread.

    ReplyDelete
  6. ...

    (that's me being speechless, which should be more meaningful than anything I could possibly "say" to empathize)

    -Mike

    ReplyDelete
  7. Honestly, I don't know which is worse...
    a) that "campfire"!?
    b) you getting sick
    c) that I didn't get some of those smores
    or
    d) the arguments about words. Didn't they know who they were dealing with? I can hear 'em now! I would never argue with you about it... although I would never dare to play word games with you or mark!
    Amy

    ReplyDelete
  8. I don't even know where to start....seriously.....how horrible!! I am sooooooooooooo sorry! I am so glad that Corin admitted to laughing, though....because I have to confess, I did laugh out loud on this one.....WHAT KIND OF FRIEND AM I????????

    I love the pic of your mom, by the way....I continue to think that she has one of the warmest smiles (not to mention sweetest spirits) ever!!! Please tell her that I said "hi"!!

    OK...so....maybe next time camping will be better?? Or will there ever be a next time?????

    Love you....Michelle

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh, Stacy! I am so sorry for your less than wonderful trip. I had to chuckle at your children's reaction...our 14yodd has very fond memories of a camping trip we went on...my hubby went with a cast on his broken leg, was sick from something he ate, my dad got a rash from the sun and we ran out of gas on the way home! Kids...they don't seem to notice those things.

    Glad you are feeling better and I hope your next trip is better.

    PS-We gave up the tent camping deal and have a travel trailer...much nicer if you have to be sick! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Dearest Stacy,
    How awful! That DOES sound like the worst camping trip ever!!
    I hope you are feeling well now.
    Take care,
    Stacy

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi Stacy :) I'm so sorry that you were sick, but I am glad to hear that your sweeties enjoyed it.
    I've been reading your blog now for a while and just wanted to say Hi and that you have been missed.
    Love to you, Q

    ReplyDelete
  12. I'm so sorry! That is horrible! Everyone else look like they had a splendid time! I hope you are feeling better now! Count it all joy, right? ;)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Poor, poor Stacy! I seriously CANNOT IMAGINE having to go through that. Ick. Well, I'm glad it's over and you're safely home now!
    And s'mores with dark chocolate: THE BEST.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Oh Stacy I am sorry you had a bum camping trip. Glad you got better and have a great story to share and remember!

    It's a cute picture of you and Ella-not that this help the outcome of the adventure!

    hugs;
    Kimmie
    mama to 6
    one homemade and 5 adopted
    (we have a list #....come see!)

    ReplyDelete
  15. My look of distress kept growing as I read, the knot in my stomach tightening. I can't imagine *living* it.
    You're home. He sustained you. The champ man and the kids have good memories. And you are so, so loved. All is well, dear friend. ((Hugs))

    I send love, Stacy....
    Ann

    ReplyDelete
  16. Oh Stacy!

    You poor dear ... I was cringing and grimacing for you as I read this. What a horrible trip!!! I do think that you will laugh heartily over it in the years to come -- but not for a while, right? Oh you poor poor thing!! What a knight in shining armor you have though!!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Yeah, that makes me want to go camping...NOT! My sister just had a very similar experience...except she is also 7 mo. pregnant...with a 7 yr. old, 5 yr. old and 17 mo. old! UG. My niece had a fever of 105.6 at 3am and it was pouring rain AND she had no idea where a hospital was...called 911. Fun camping trip. It just makes home seem even better. It is funny though how one will lay on any floor when they are sick! Done that! Sorry it was so bad. Glad you are feeling better.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I can't see the pictures for some reason, but I laughed and said "Oh, poor Stacy!" throughout the whole post. You're such a good writer - I felt like you were sitting next to me telling the whole crazy story!
    I hope you're fully recovered now, and that no one else caught the icky flu!

    ReplyDelete
  19. What a bummer! At least the toilets flushed.

    ReplyDelete
  20. hoo-boy.

    that'll cure you from camping for awhile, won't it?

    I am so sorry. It's horrible...too horrible for words.

    Thank God for that nice home, that clean bathroom, that HOT SHOWER to come home to!!!!

    and the Scrabble dictionary too.

    Hallelujah!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for commenting! I love hearing from you, and I will do
my best to reply back to you in the comment section.