Our "Rockin'" Spring Break

After years of being held hostage at home by Jacob's passionate hatred of camping, we finally got to sleep in a tent again-- thanks to Grandma Dastrup. Jacob stayed home with Grandma and had a fun time going to the children's museum, Wheeler Farm, the library and just enjoying some one-on-one time. We took the other monkeys camping at Goblin Valley. It was awesome! Talk about a little boy's paradise: tons of dirt to play in, rocks to climb, and hills to run up and down. Ty and Benjmain were in heaven. We had a great time playing hide-and-seek games in Goblin Valley, making tinfoil dinners, roasting marshmallows and eating s'mores, telling "ghost stories" around the campfire, and hiking at Capitol Reef. I was worried that maybe our family just wasn't a camping family, but to my relief I learned that the only non-camper is Jacob. It was glorious to be out in nature again! But I must admit the trip was a little bitter-sweet. (Those who are only here for light reading should stop reading at this point because I'm about to bare a part of my soul which can get a little awkward.) It was so incredibly liberating to not have to worry about keeping Jacob from trying to vomit in the car every 10 minutes. We didn't even take our portable DVD player on our trip! And it was EASY and FUN without it! It was great to be able to particpate in whatever was going on instead of trying to keep Jacob happy. But whenever I found myself feeling free and like we were enjoying ourselves as a "normal" family, I'd quickly be struck down by feelings of guilt. I mean, what kind of parents take a family vacation and leave one of their children behind? I know he would have HATED every moment and that we couldn't have done it with him, but still... What kind of mother enjoys the absence of one of her children? I fervently wish that Jacob loved camping as much as the rest of us, but he just doesn't. It's sad to know that we may never enjoy camping as a whole family in this life, and that any time we want to let our other kids experience the joy of camping that we must impose on someone else to care for Jacob for us. But I guess that it is just all part of the package that comes with Jacob. I guess we have to pay for that unconditional love and those endless hugs somehow. We wouldn't trade our Jacob for any number of camping trips!