Getting Out of Town

I love camping.

It has not always been that way. In fact, I should put a little note on the statement above: I love camping when there are clean bathrooms, showers, and electricity. I particularly love camping in KOAs.

This past weekend, Nick, Kim, and I took 9 of our college-age kids camping in Harper’s Ferry. We got there Friday night and  after setting up our little camp site, I took a walk around, just figuring out where everything was. I was so happy to be back surrounded by RVs and tents and campfires and country music and christmas lights and astro-turf front lawns. After spending the last 3 summers leading trips, it felt like summer had finally started.

Saturday morning was our first big adventure: white-water tubing. Now I have to say, I had my doubts about the whole affair. We have been white-water rafting plenty of times, and I really did not see how it could possibly be safe to do the same thing in an inner tube! When they gave us our life-jackets (several of which were missing buckles) and never checked to see whether or not they even fit anyone, I was just thinking, “Thank goodness Camp Tecumseh is not leading this trip!”

When they dropped us off at the river, the wind was blowing hard enough that you actually couldn’t tell which way the water was supposed to be moving. All of the tube-ers who had gotten there before us weren’t moving at all because the wind was blowing the opposite direction of the current. Most of the people in our group were able to hop on their tube and paddle hard enough to make it to the other side of the river where the current was stronger. I just couldn’t do it. I don’t know if I wasn’t strong enough or just wasn’t doing it right, but after about 10 minutes of watching everyone get further and further away, I jumped out of my tube, grabbed it with one hand, and just started swimming!

Once I was finally moving, I couldn’t stop myself… Everyone else had managed to stop at the top of the “rapids” and was standing on top of the rocks, enjoying the view. I, however, just sailed right by. And that is where my favorite part of the trip really began!

I ended up getting separated from the group for almost a half hour! The river was calm enough that I wasn’t worried about getting tossed out, so I just lay back and enjoyed the sunshine. It was a gorgeous day, the river was banked on both sides by forested hills, and I was just filled with joy by the beauty of God’s creation. I ended up singing to myself almost the whole time: You are Holy, Indescribable, The Happy Song, In the Secret… I love to sing

Eventually, the rest of the group caught up and we floated the rest of the way together. It was the perfect way to spend the day.

After we got off the river, we took quick showers and then headed into Harper’s Ferry. It’s a cute, little, historic town, but the afternoon had gotten to be so blazing hot that we didn’t walk around for too long after lunch.

To make the end of this long story short, it started raining halfway through cooking dinner and everyone decided that they wanted to go home early. Sooo, we packed up, headed out, and were home by about 10:00. It was a pretty anti-climactic end to the trip, but I was happy to wake up in my own bed this morning!

Now, let me just take a minute to brag about my husband. I was so wrapped up in end-of-the-year school stuff that I did not do a single thing to plan for this trip. He made all of the reservations, bought and prepared all of the food, and packed all of the gear. He organized all of the people, figuring out who was going to bring what and help with which meals. Once we got there, he cooked, and entertained, and encouraged, and coached, and was basically amazing. His patience with others is endless and he helps me to see the good in others when tempers get short. I am very thankful for him.

All things considered, here are my conclusions about this weekend:

- KOAs are the bomb

- Campfire smoke makes everything taste better

- White-water tubing is way awesome and not nearly as death-defying as you might imagine

- I married a great man

- God’s creation is indescribable

- Life is good

To See the World

Instead of a whole post from me, I really just want to share this one.

I think my parents did an amazing job of showing my sister and I the world as we were growing up. (Sarah, I think this is probably the turtle that bit you… he just moved to Hawaii)

I hope to do the same thing for my own family throughout the rest of my life.

In the family that I linked to above, I love the way that they broke down some of their “steps” for truly experiencing the world.

1. Take 2000 pictures.

2. When in Rome (or Spain)

3. Slow down at the museums

4. No shame

Plus, their pictures are pretty fantastic.

I am so thankful that I still have so many years left to see the world! Don’t you just want to go exploring today???

Here are a few more exploration-inspirational pics, all from weheartit.com… enjoy!

I love City Life

I have always wanted to live in a city. Don’t get me wrong, I will be more than happy to someday move back to a more rural life, but there is a big part of me that just loves city life. I love walking through a back alley and finding an incredibly gorgeous garden.

I love having a neighborhood pub, where I can go visit my friend Anne who works there and eat a delicious Maryland club and see everyone in the world from little kids to frat boys to senior citizens out on a date all in the same place.

I love that festivals just pop up in the middle of the city: funnel cakes, live bands, hippie clothes and used books for sale, and a field full of little kids and hula hoops.

Sometimes Baltimore really is Charm City.

Northbay Adventures

Northbay is by far one of the best spots in Maryland.

It is a camp in Northeast, MD where we get to take our kiddos for a week every year. At first, they are all just complaining about dirt and squealing over bugs. But soon… they are doing, well, this…

I am so very thankful for the days when kids can just be kids.

The DeKoster Clan

“Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.” - Jane Howard

Nick’s family (and now my family, too!) was recently here for several days. We are so blessed to have family who is willing to travel halfway across the country to spend time with us! While they were here, we did A LOT! We walked miles and miles all around DC, checking out Arlington Cemetary, the Museum of Natural History, the National Mall (particulary the Vietnam Wall and the Lincoln Memorial), and of course… Chinatown.

We also visited Baltimore’s National Aquarium for the first time in our four years here. We walked around Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, looking in the shops and checking out the big ships. We watched lots of movies, cooked yummy food, and played cards.

But even with all that, I think the best part for me was watching Nick with his mom. He loves her so much and was just so happy. This morning I am thankful to have a husband who loves his family!

Lost

Um… I still don’t know what to say about it.

We have devotedly watched Lost for the past 6 years and I still don’t fully understand it and now it is over. Last night we went to a Lost Party with a whole bunch of fully entrenched Losties and I still don’t think I understand… But maybe I’m missing the point.

I know, I know… It’s just a tv show! But itsn’t it a wonderful thing that brings people together and makes you look at life in a different way? Today I am thankful for Lost and Kate and Jack and Sawyer and Juliette and Ben and Locke and all of the rest… for making me question.

We Picked Each Other

I am now home from the Foxy Reunion weekend… and boy, what a weekend! I have been so completely BLESSED by wonderful, beautiful, loving, generous, hilarious, brilliant friends.

Every single of them is So Different, but also So Special. I think I was struck most by Liz’s mom’s comments over the weekend. She talked about a recent interview with SJP (I love you, SJP!) and how in today’s world it’s completely common for women to put each other down… and that’s really what’s normal in the public view of female relationships. The fact that we choose to love each other and lift each other up is really out of the mainstream… how sad, but how lucky for us. Where would I be without these five women? I truly don’t know. And I am so thankful for each of them.

One more thought from the oh-so-wise Mrs. Mary, we picked each other. As we grow up, our friends will evolve to become our childrens’ friends’ parents… but these friends? We picked each other. And we will keep on choosing each other for all of the years to come.