A trip down memory lane

As a mother of many young children, I attend a group called MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers). Twice a month, I get to put my children in childcare for a couple of hours and actually sit down and eat breakfast without cutting anyone else’s food. I get to have a conversation with someone who doesn’t spill their milk and does not talk with food in their mouth (usually). It is great. My kids love it. I love it.

This year’s MOPS theme is “Adventures in Mothering.” I think this if funny because my friend Peggy says to me all of the time that I need a top hat because it is a 3-ring circus here every time she calls. Well, our meeting was last Friday and we went around our tables and discussed one of our most “adventuresome” stories, which reminded me of one that I have not told yet. So, here it goes:

I have never been the outdoorsy type. Mostly because bugs and I just don’t get along. They bug me and I kill them. My parents would tell you that, as a kid, I was not like that. I used to go camping with dad, etc. Yes, I did go camping. However, when I reached adulthood, I decided that I did not have to do that anymore…I am an adult. I don’t want to. I don’t have to.

Wouldn’t you know it? God sends a wonderful couple into our lives: The Armstrongs. The Armstrongs love to go camping. They go camping as a family twice a year. It is a big family event. Everyone loads up the campers and heads to the hills…brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and wouldn’t you know it? The DeVries!

For the record, everyone in the Armstrong family has a camper of some sort. When asked to accompany them on their adventures, my darling husband goes out and buys a….tent. I will have to say that it is a grand tent. It will hold 12 people (albeit crazy ones) and it even has a front and a back door. Talk about style! Did I happen to mention that I HATE camping?

Okay, so now you know the background. Which, in ten years, will make this story even funnier. At the end of May, we load up our 12-passenger van with all the essentials, our four children, and me, who is 6 months pregnant. We follow the Armstrongs (who are towing their lovely camper) to Fall Creek Falls. Things are going great. I have exactly one can of bugs spray on me, I don’t have ankles anymore, and I have to walk uphill ¼ of a mile to the bathroom. GOOD TIMES! Then, one of the Armstrongs, who was watching TV in their camper hears that there are severe storms headed our direction. After much thought and consideration, it was decided that it would not come close enough to us (I am still unsure of who’s meteorology skills we depended on and that is probably best).

Well, you guessed it. In the middle of the night, the storm hit. I am not just talking about any storm. I really don’t think I have ever been in a bigger storm in my entire life. It rained so hard that Matt had to keep pushing the top of the tent up to get the standing water off so that the tent did not collapse. I just kept praying that the trees were very happy where they were and did not feel the need to fall on us!

Now, picture this: Matt is on a twin mattress. Faith is in the Pack n Play. I am on a queen blow-up mattress between Dylan and Addy. There is water gushing on our heads and I, of course, have to go to the bathroom. Matt and I are trying to decide on whether or not we should try to get to the van. We decide against it because we are afraid that, in running back and forth to get all the kids, one of us would get struck by lightening, fall, etc.

So, there we are, riding out the storm. I am laying there, looking up at the top of the tent and lightening strikes. The whole tent lights up and I now see it so clear! The ceiling of our tent is shaped exactly like a circus tent. That all-famous music came to my head…do do do do do do do do do do do. How poetic my life is! It is so funny the things God uses at just the right time to remind us that HE is in control and we just need to chill out a little!