The only other time we have ever been camping as a family was in 2012 with these same friends. We've added four kids between us since then and all kinds of life experience. 😅 But, it is pretty great to look back at those pictures and see how much the kids have grown and stayed the same.
We all met up at Devil's Den in NW Arkansas. John and I had been there over Spring Break and thought it would make a great place to camp, which proved to be true. Friday evening we got all set up and kicked off the fun with Salmon/Potato packets and kabobs before taking a gander at the creek right by our campground.
We had a pretty late night, and the kids weren't tired enough to drift right off. That said, we slept pretty well considering we were sleeping in tents. We woke to a day of adventure and 8 kids, and a hammock commune that the kids thoroughly enjoyed.
(Camp Spenst)
We had planned to do a bit of hiking, which turned out to be about .5 miles worth of hiking. (Some half miles seem longer than others 😂) Somehow, between the heat and the bugs and the allure of the creek waiting back at the campground, the hiking was a bit of a dud with the kids. But it was beautiful.
By 10, we were done hiking and pretty amazed at how many hours we had left in the day. Everyone got creek ready, and we headed down to spend the rest of the day frolicking (the children) and sitting (the adults). Basically, it was delightful. There was about an hour with scattered storms, but since we were already in the water, we just stayed put. The kids fished for minnows and caught two! They built a dam. I built a rock tower, because there was plenty of time for that. We reapplied sunscreen. We slipped down the rapid stream and dodged one tiny snake. We ate and drank and were merry. It was a typical river day, and we all thoroughly enjoyed it.
Also, we all, and I mean ALL, wore Chacos. 12 pairs.
We had Tacos for dinner and spent time relaxing around the campsite. The adults all marveled at the fact of having no cell service and how it does seem to expand time a bit. There were no distractions - only what was right in front of us.
The last morning we warmed up breakfast burritos - a standby camping favorite! And, Steven made a brief appearance as a squirrel as a surprise for the kids. And everyone camping near us. 🤣🐿
We rounded out our fun with lunch at a diner in Clarksville on our way home that turned out to be wonderful with the sweetest staff.
SO thankful for these friends and this time together. And camping turned out to be a lot of fun seven years later!
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