the peaceful, easy feeling

This past weekend, minus the flaming airborne marshmallow, was positively awesome.

The children had a wonderful time and were extremely sad to learn that they couldn't sleep in a tent for the next 218 days. I don't know where or how they came up with that number, but it is what it is.

Even though there wasn't much for them to do, except collect rocks and scale treacherous slopes on the sharp look out for rattlesnakes and cacti, they didn't want to leave.

Each morning, they would wake up and scamper to the top of the hill next to our campsite and yell out, "Look!! We found the SUN!"

And then at night, when the sun would set on the opposite side of the sky, they'd look to see the moon magically rise in the same exact spot where the sun had been, hours before.

There is no doubt, the great outdoors is a child's paradise.

So long as they don't run headlong in to a cactus - according to Henry and one badly bruised thigh - there is no place better.

Camping really is so much fun.

We love the whole experience.

Especially the cooking and dining, outdoors.

Whenever we'd finish eating, all the children would RUSH to do the dishes.

Which was fine by me, since this is one of my least favorite camping chores and since the children are lower to the ground, it's less bending over for me to do.

Since the goal is to remove gross contamination - and not sterilize - the children did a perfectly suitable job. Although after the girls washed the dishes following dinner one night, before I had the opportunity to dump the dirty water, I heard splashing and turned around to see that our youngest had immediately stripped down and opted to take a bath in our "sink."

I suppose it's a good thing I'm not overly opposed to this kind of thing. Although when Henry climbed out, he had rogue spaghetti noodles hanging off him.

(FYI: My beautiful blue eyed toddler soaking in our camp sink is quite possibly the cutest and most hilarious thing I've ever seen.)

When we returned home late Sunday afternoon, I felt rejuvenated and invigorated. Ready to take on the world with a fresh new attitude and mucho gusto. A trip in to the wild was exactly what I needed to clear my foggy mind and help me see things with a renewed perspective.

Yesterday morning, Charlie packed the children up for an outing and about an hour after he left, he sent me a text message declaring how much he loved living in San Diego. The weather is perfect, the scenery is beautiful, there is so much to do, he couldn't be any more content. I wrote him back and asked, "So would you feel happy living here forever?" and he replied, "For as far as I can tell, this is the BEST place for our family!"

And for the first time in a long, long, long time, I felt truly settled as a sense of peace washed over me.

Until five minutes later, when my boss called to tell me that a job will be coming up in Virginia this summer, and if I want to stay with the company - I should really consider a move sooner than later. And with that, the beautiful, peaceful, settled feeling I had just summoned instantly vaporized.

POOF!

Yesterday afternoon Charlie and I discussed the next steps in our future and we've both decided that we're going to sell off everything and move in to a tent. A house and mortgage and electricity and running water and indoor plumbing are TOTALLY overrated.

I think everyone in our family will be happier with our new arrangement.

Most notably, the children.