Went camping this weekend -- north of Pittsburgh.  A 5 hour trip each way... It rained the whole way there, but held off most of our stay.  It was Nathan's first Venture Scout outing, and I really wanted to make it great, but instead I came down with this awful respiratory virus that's going around, and was just miserable the whole time.  It was also cooooold.  I know that there are many hearty campers and scouts out there who laugh in the face of sub-freezing temperatures and icy winds.  I'm just not one of them.  On the other hand, I'm pretty tough, I dig rustic.  I cook over campfires, but not when I can barely breathe and feel nauseous! 

Luckily, it wasn't about me, and the boys had a good time.  I had my hubby along also, and he really did look after me.  In fact, I think he kept me from getting hypothermia that first night!  We ended up leaving early, which probably disappointed some of the scout dads, but the boys said they were ready to go.  It was the hubby's command decision.  I had mixed feelings until it started to rain as we drove out of the camp. 

The boys got to fire some guns, shoot some arrows, paddle around in canoes, and other cool stuff.  Nathan really loves the outdoors.  He bugs us to hike and camp every time sun comes out.  I'm glad he got back into scouting.  He gave it up during Middle School because I think he thought it wasn't cool.  But the thing is, you have to do what you love, whether it's cool or not, because that's who you are.  This year he's beginning to grasp that.  It was nice to see him eagerly hauling out the tents and packing up the car, and setting up and breaking down camp.  I only wish my hubby and I were more eager to go backwoods hiking and camping with him, because frankly, we've gotten soft with age.  We'd rather sit on the deck of a warm cabin with soft beds and admire the view of nature than to hike all over it and sleep under the stars.  I'll admit those scouts and leaders are tough -- they shared stories of camping in the snow and rain and in all altitudes.  God bless them, and I hope they can teach Nathan a lot, because that it one trail he'll be taking without his Dad and I (one of many paths he'll be taking on his own as he gets older, no doubt).