When a Mama Needs Her Mama

Last week Ella and I went down to Moose Lake State Park for a little camping excursion with Grandma & Grandpa Scott. Grandma & Grandpa bought a new travel trailer at the beginning of the summer, so this meant we got to hit the outdoors in style. It was nice since it rained the entire first day we were there. We sat inside at the little dinette, playing cards and Yahtzee (a camping must in our family), eating animal crackers, and watching Ella play with the dogs. Grandma made dinner on the stove and warmed up sides in the microwave. Microwave?! Yup, a microwave.

Speaking of electronics while camping, did I mention yet that, to pass the time, we watched a movie on a brand new 19" flat-screen TV? My parents explained that after years of roughing it in tents with five kids in pouring rain, wind and cold, making dinners over camp stoves or a crackling fire, they had earned the right to camp in comfort. Fair enough!

I can't tell you how absolutely thankful I was to be in a warm camper when I woke at 2am that night with a rip-roaring stomach ache. I thought at first it was something I had eaten, but that only lasted about 15 minutes, at which time Miss Ella woke crying and commenced to throw up all over me. I stopped analyzing how I could have gotten sick and succumbed to the power of the bug. Oh, how lovely to be sleeping in a bed rather than on the cold ground and, even more than that, to have my mom and dad there to take care of us. Ella recovered pretty quickly and spent the morning playing with the dogs and sitting by the fire with Grandpa. I slept most of the morning and eventually wandered out to join them. Had Ella and I been at home, we would have been on our own most of the day, which would have been rough feeling the way I did. I can say a huge thank you, God! for allowing my mom & dad to be so close when I needed them.

That evening, when I was back on the road to recovery, Ella and I drove back to Duluth where Daddy took over the care of his girls. Sprite and raspberry sorbet never tastes so good.

Although Pete did eventually get hit by the bug, we can now say that the Olsen household is (nearly) a complete picture of health. Thanks, Grandma & Grandpa Scott for taking care of us!

trying to leash Luther

yay! a fun camping chair!

Gracie!

dancing with Gracie

sitting by the campfire

Grandpa & Ella