camping at moccasin creek state park

The coldest days of the fall happened the weekend of our first family camping trip 

during Fall Break with some friends to Moccassin Creek State Park on Lake Burton.  

We spent the weekend watching the boys run and play, fish, kayak, tromp through the forest, and fall in streams.  We sat and cooked by the fire.  We stayed up late and roasted marshmallows.  We cuddled up in our six person tent with our heater blasting warmth around us.  We had a wonderful time and I sat the last night looking at our three sons fast asleep in their sleeping bags overwhelmingly thankful that instead of separate beds in one of the big fancy campers around us, we were lined up in a row sharing our small space together, our little family, on our first of many trips.

campout

Fall Camping in Georgia, even in someone's backyard, is a Southern boy dream.  These boys had been anxiously awaiting this evening for months.  Tents, fire, food, music, lake, and friends sums up the day and night along with LOUD and DIRT as there were five little boys in the mix.  

Unfortunately Logan and I had to miss out on the night festivities due to some nasty side effects to four year old shots, but by the next morning he was in true form and we drove over to Kaden's grandparents house to spend the morning fishing and climbing in dirt mountains in the frigid air of a Saturday in November.  It was good for the heart and soul, as well as the tummy because the food was outstanding. 

 There's a lot of ups and downs in parenting but its moments like these when you see pure joy on faces of filthy boys being who they are with people who love them as they are that you store in your heart to bring smiles to your face on days that need an extra smile or two.  Thankful for new friends and fun memories, dirt covered or not.