Sunday, September 7, 2008

Camping with Dad

I shared this story with Sean last night as we visited with Dad.
Perhaps Adam and David remember this event.

Let me tell you about a time when Dad took his three oldest son's on a Fathers/Sons camp out many years ago.
We were living in Bountiful at the time so Adam, David and I were very young. I don't remember a lot about the trip except for bed time. We didn't bring a tent. We had 3 canvas sleeping bags. Dad took one for himself and he zipped the other two together for his three sons to share. It was quite comfortable. We watched the campfire as Dad talked to us. We went to sleep under the stars and all was well in the world...

until...

it started raining in the middle of the night. Hard!
Dad took the three sleeping bags and zipped them back into singles. Then he made a bed for each of his son's on the 3 big bench style car seats inside of the van we brought. There wasn't a 4th car seat or a 4th sleeping bag so Dad stayed out in the rain and curled up next to the fire with an old tarp. Dad tossed and turned and tried to sleep in the rain and on the hard ground. Later, dripping wet, he opened the van's side door, came in out of the rain and tried sleeping on the floor of the van.
Sometime before sunrise Dad decided the camping trip was over. He started up the van and we drove home.
At the time I was disappointed we would miss the pancake breakfast up the canyon. But now, as an adult with two kids of my own, I mostly think about a Dad who sacrificed for his sons.

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