ANOTHER WEEKEND AT HOME

Last spring, we had our first family camp out in our back yard. Abner was eight months old and probably didn't remember anything from that weekend. But Emet remembers and talks about camping together frequently. Emet has been so excited, and the anticipation has been building for him. He's a great sport. We've planned on camping out for a month now, but the weather hasn't been in our favor - so we've had to reschedule several times.

Once we settled on this weekend, we began prepping the yard and making plans to have everything ready for our time together. We spent Friday and early Saturday morning mowing the yard and picking up from the recent wind and rain. The boys both enjoy helping with the yard work. Abner grabs his pretend lawnmower, and Emet gets the broom and dustpan and cleans up leaves and lawn clippings. They're a joy to work alongside.

There were specific things Emet remembered from camping last year. First, he remembered roasting marshmallows. Every time we mentioned camping, he would ask if we were going to roast marshmallows again. Second, he remembered that we watched a movie together in the tent. Specifically, he remembers that we watched the movie Planes. Of course, as soon as the tent was up, he grabbed his planes and started playing inside the tent. I love how nostalgic Emet is and how he tries to recreate moments that are special to him.

We started the fire and grill at the same time. Emet was a big help with arranging the wood. After some meal prep, we started putting things on the grill. My personal favorite from the evening was the pasta salad. I'll have to post the recipe in the coming weeks. It's incredibly simple but so good!

After it was dark, we played a quick game of hide-and-seek and headed for the tent. The weather was perfect, and the moon was bright - so I asked Calvin to take the removable top off the tent. We put our iPad up in the netting near the roof of the tent. It allowed us to lay down and look straight up at the movie - it was magical. Both of the boys made it through the entire night in the tent. They were super sweet and cuddly. This whole weekend was a complete joy. It was a lot of work setting up, but the smells, the sounds, and the memories of being together are priceless.

| Credits: Author & Photography - Jacintha Payne |