Hell has frozen over...we're going CAMPING!

Apparently Hell has frozen over....the Kramer clan is going camping! After a near ten year hiatus we have gained enough courage to try camping as a family again. Our last attempt at camping was an epic failure. Mid-October, Southern Alberta...my in laws had just bought a palatial 5th wheel trailer (it was bigger than our 6 room farm house) and had come for an extended visit. Surprised when our 8 year old informed them she had never been camping, the in laws suggested going to Ridge Lake Reservoir 25 minutes from Raymond. Them in their heated house on wheels; us in our 1982 Ford Econoline Van. We didn't own a tent or sleeping bags. When we arrived at the camp ground it was deserted (everybody else knew it was too cold to camp on purpose) and too breezy to start a camp fire. I don't remember what we did between arriving and retiring for the night....all I remember is being so COLD. All the girls fell asleep in the trailer...Dallyn (under 2), Grant & I all drew the short straw slept in the Van...after only an hour of sleep the puke fest began. First it was Dallyn, then about 20 minutes later the van door opened and Alex was passed off to us, she had initiated nearly ever surface in the brand new 5th wheel. Now with two puking toddlers we made the decision to head home, leaving the older girls with their Grandparents, it was nearly mid night. It wasn't until we started the van and pulled on to the road that we noticed how foggy it was, I mean the thickest, pea soup I have ever seen. You could barely see the front of the hood let alone the road. We inched home. The entire hour and a half , the puking continued. As we pulled into Raymond we stopped at the ER, they shot both kids up with Gravol and sent us home with instructions to give them Gatorade a tablespoon at a time for 24 hours. It took days for my poor babies to recover. I don't think that Van ever smelled the same again...So I swore I'll never go camping again.

When the invitation came last week to go camping with friends a chill ran through my body...but the opportunity to see an Island we might not otherwise see and the desperate need to get away from it all...help me overcome the vomit flashbacks. So Gabriola Island hear we come !!! But I will throw in a few ice cream buckets just in case. And Madison please stop making gagging noises....its irritating ;)