Cousin Camping

Last weekend we went camping in Casper, Wyoming.  We met up with Brian and Andrea’s family for a fun-filled weekend of camping with the cousins.

Camping, after all, is in our blood.  We grew up going camping with our cousins from the time we were very small.  We have been a bit slothful in providing our kids with the same joyful adventures, and decided it was high time.  After all, just look at what happy campers we were back in the day!

Seems shameful to deprive our children of all that fun, right? 

We took the steps to fix the problem and settled on a date when we could meet exactly half way between our two houses for a camping trip in Wyoming.

The trip started out about as ideal as it could get.  We found the perfect spot, the weather was sunny and warm, and the campfire lit up without a hitch.  Hot dogs were roasted, ridiculous amounts of fishy crackers were consumed, s’mores were gobbled down, and the children frolicked through the nearby fields.  Brian and Andrea brought their little trailer, the “Fun Finder,” and it was true to its name.  “Fun” was just about the perfect description of our evening at the campsite!  Because really, can it get any more fun than camping with cousins?

The only thing better than camping with cousins is camping with adorable baby cousins!

As the evening fell, the kids watched an old favorite, “The Apple Dumping Gang” inside the Fun Finder while the adults sat and chatted around the dying campfire.  Glee filled our hearts as we thought of our children bonding over a first-rate camping trip, just like we had back in the day.

Eventually it was time to call it a night.  We bid farewell to our cousins as they settled into the Fun Finder.  We took our kids and headed over to our accommodations for the night in our trusty tent, “The Rain Finder.” 

The kids snuggled in surprisingly quickly, and after just a few short minutes we were fast asleep. 

Our slumber lasted just a few short minutes until a gentle drizzle began to fall on our tent.  We laid there awake as the drizzle steadily increased in intensity, and pretty soon it was pouring rain.  Amelia (who was sleeping on top of me) woke up and was confused and irritated.  She began to scream and irrationally insist that we could have no blankets anywhere near our bodies.  Meanwhile, the temperature had plummeted from a comfortable 70 degrees to somewhere below zero.  It was FREEZING.  Every time I would try to nudge a blanket slightly closer to my shivering body, Amelia would scream anew.

Around this time, the tent suddenly lit up as bright as day.  Before we could rejoice that morning had come, a huge clap of thunder rumbled on and on through the mountains.  Oh boy.  Now we were all awake (except Adam who, being a good little boy, slept through the whole night).  Another flash and more deafening thunder.  Derek announced nervously that he didn’t even have time to count to one between the lightning and the thunder.  Glenn and I discussed whether we should run with all four kids through the pouring rain and lightning to the car or The Fun Finder.  At that moment, we got a text message from Brian, “Do you want to come over?”  They were awake too! 

We decided to risk it out there in the wild- just us, the lightning, and The Rain Finder.

We laid there with Amelia screaming, me shivering, and the boys quaking in fear.  Glenn’s phone chimed again with another message from Brian.  “Isn’t camping fun?!”

Glenn and I, probably suffering from the onset of hypothermia, started to laugh.  We chatted about how soon we should plan our next camping trip, and I giggled through my shivers.  Derek, who was over in his sleeping bag praying for the lightning to stop, piped up.  “I’m glad you two are having fun camping, but you’re keeping me awake!”  We settled down as Derek’s prayers were answered and the lightning started to fade away- torturing campers elsewhere on the mountain.  By now it was around 4:00 in the morning.

Amelia continued to shift and whine, trying to find a comfortable spot on top of me sans blankets.  As the morning sun began to cast a soft light inside the tent, we all finally fell back asleep.

Morning dawned, and the dads braved the frigid temperatures to build us a roaring campfire.  Hooray for the men!  We slowly began to peel ourselves out of our sleeping bags- an act of bravery for such a cold morning.

One of us kept sleeping peacefully as if she hadn’t been a terror all night long…

We gathered for a warm and toasty breakfast around the sizzling fire, looking no worse for the wear.

(No, Adam’s bottom wasn’t on fire in that picture.)

Despite the cold and damp conditions, we managed to have another wonderful day together.  We hiked for about 10 minutes in 40 mile-an-hour winds until we just couldn’t take it anymore, and we raced back to the glowing coals of our campfire pit.  The kids did manage to sneak away long enough to find a worm- a necessary part of any successful camping trip!

So,  part of the camping trip turned out cold and miserable, but we sure made memories!  We can do anything for one night, right?  And just look at these happy campers!

I even think we all felt a little sad when it came time to pack up and drive back home- the true measure of success.  Thanks for camping with us, Ludwigs!  Let’s check the weather report, pack some warmer clothes next time, and then do it again soon!

Raising the Bar

After running a couple of 5K races, Glenn and Derek decided it was time to try something new.  On Saturday they opted to participate in a sprint distance and kids distance triathlon.

Glenn’s was a 500 yard swim (20 lengths of the pool), a 12 mile bike ride, and a 5K run.  Derek’s was a 50 yard swim (2 lengths), a 2 mile bike ride, and a half mile run.

They both did great!  The swimming was a challenge for both of them and they both had some confusion on the course, but they came through like champs! 

Glenn’s was first.  His start time was 6:30 in the morning, so he had to be there by around 5:45.  He added a little bit of distance to his bike ride by getting up and riding his bike to where the race was being held.

Derek started a few hours later.  He did great on the swim and then slipped in the parking lot when going from the pool to the transition area.  He got scraped up a little, but jumped right up, hopped on his bike, and away he went!  He did a really good job.

It was fun to have friends there to be a part of it.  You can see our friend Mike Bright cheering for Glenn in the picture above (he finished the race about 15 minutes before Glenn), and Seth and Randy Guthrie showed up to cheer Derek on (Randy raced in the morning with Glenn).

I was really proud of both of them!  It was a brave undertaking (particularly given that we just got back from a 10 day vacation), and they both did a great job.  They learned some things that will make the next one even better.  They are quite the team!

Guest Post by Derek

On May 24, as we walked into the International Spy Museum, I could feel the mystery already.

We rode the elevator up to a room full of names. We had to pick one as our false identity.My name was Billy Henderson. I was 14 years old and headed to London, England on vacation. We were tested on whether we could remember the details of our false identity. I got 100 % on all my tests. That means I will make a great spy.

In the museum, we saw cool stuff like James Bond's car, a gun disguised as a lipstick container, and a briefcase that was really a camera. The best part , though, was when we got to crawl through the air ducts and spy on people. We had to be really quiet. There were windows that we spied through.

Afterward, I was so impressed that I used my own money to buy a spy door alarm that tells you the time of the break-in.  I found it in the museum store,  but my Mom found it for cheaper on Amazon, so I ordered it.   I can't wait to start my new role as a spy!