Camping has become a favorite activity for our family. This past winter/spring we were able to go on multiple trips, starting with this trip to McKinney Falls Valentine's Day weekend. This was a group trip with the Hrobars and Hendersons...and it was so fun, but also so scary.
We drove down to McKinney Falls on Friday evening, a trip that was supposed to take only 3-4 hours took us almost 6 hours! The traffic was insane! But we made it and we were all very happy to park the camper and get to sleep.
The hammock was a hit...it became a swing for the kids, they spent hours playing in it!
Saturday morning we decided to start off with a trip down to the falls. It was over a mile away, so after much debate of whether to walk, bike, or drive, we decided to drive while the Hrobars biked. The kids thought riding in the back of the truck was a blast!
Tex is quite the camper...he is the best!
Hannah loves hanging with the Henderson girls!
Daddy and Luke
The falls were really neat, they were beautiful! The kids loved playing here on this beachy area, they threw rocks and just played together. The water was freezing, but they did beg us to let them swim.
The dads had fun just catching up and hanging out.
After some playtime here we went back up to the top of the falls to walk out. This area was very slippery and had big holes in it that were full of water and algae. These holes were incredibly slick, but looked like puddles so they were magnets for the kids. Luke decided to jump into one on our way out, his feet slipped out from under him and he fell back and hit his head on the edge of the rock. It was BAD. A man standing nearby yelled immediately, "He fell, there's blood!" It was SO scary. The blood was pouring out and he was screaming. Carl scooped him up and carried him to the side where we could think. A very kind stranger took off his undershirt for us to use to put pressure on his head. Another called for help, but the campground did not have their own EMT. We decided we needed to just start the walk to the truck because it would take some time. I almost passed out, really I thought I might...I cannot handle that much blood or seeing my own child with such an injury. Thank goodness we had our amazing friends with us, they jumped in to help with Isaac, Hannah, and Tex, as well as helping to keep me calm and on my feet. By the time we got to the truck Luke stopped crying, so I held him while we drove. Once we got to the camper he was calm, he let us check on it and rinse it with water without much fuss at all. He was incredibly strong and brave! Once we changed his clothes and stopped messing with it he was fine, even played with the kids. Carl and I took a few minutes to collect ourselves and eat a sandwich before heading to the doctor. We went to an urgent care center, which was a wise choice because it was empty. We only waited about 10-15 minutes before being called back. After examining it the doctor moved us to a room where he and an another doctor could clean it to see exactly how it looked. It had stopped bleeding and clotted well which was very good. Once again, Luke was so brave...he did not cry at all while they cleaned it! Once again, I was not so strong, my legs were weak and I thought I might pass out again. After cleaning it they gave him a few shots to numb the area, that was the worst, he screamed when they did it. But then the staples were completely painless! 4 staples later we were done and heading back to everyone! I am so thankful for our friends and their amazing support! They took care of Isaac and Hannah for us so we could focus on Luke and be there for his every need. Once we got back to the campground it was just like normal. Luke was ready to play and have fun!
While we were gone Dana and Celisa made a scavenger hunt map for the kids to find their Valentine surprises. The guys entertained the kids with a silly bootyshake walk so we could hide the surprises.
The hunt was a success, the kids loved it and worked together very well!
Hannah enjoyed the bubbles she got!
Tex is never far from the guys when they are cooking.
Breakfast!
Unfortunately before breakfast we had another accident. Hudson was playing with a truck and walking backwards as he pulled it. He fell back into the firepit that was full of the hot embers from the night before. As he got up he put his hands down and burned one very badly. Nobody was real sure what treatment was best for such a burn, which made it worse for him. The poor guy was in a lot of pain for quite a while. It was so sad. Being the tough boy that he is he did bounce back and join the kids for some fun. Kids are amazingly resilient!
Hannah loved the time with the girls!
Luke did not let his head injury slow him down...he and Wyatt were great buddies during hide and seek.
More hammock fun!
Luke and his "team" as he calls them. He truly admires these guys...I'm okay with that, they are both great influences!
Hannah loved riding Brooke's bike around!
Luke, he cracks me up! Love these three so much!
Best Friends!
Fun Dip!
The kids worked together and worked very hard to build this amazing fort! They carried every log and branch and designed this all by themselves! I love seeing them enjoy the outdoors, being creative, and working together.
Our big guy!
So even though the trip was not perfect and painfree, it was still so fun and we made great memories! I'm so thankful for these special times with special friends!
