"Glamping" - part 1

Definition of "glamping" - A form of camping involving accommodation and facilities more luxurious than those associated with traditional camping.

It all started with my husband asking me what I thought about taking Mason camping sometime. Now those of you who know me I'm sure don't see me as the camping type. Well you just might be right. I can honestly say I have never been camping before so other than hearing from my family & friends what it all entailed I really didn't have anything to base my opinion on.

I immediately had visions of us pitching a tent, making food on a fire & the three of us gathered around the campfire toasting marshmallows. Sounds kind of fun. Pretty sure Mason would love it. It can't be that awful.....can it??

So I asked a few more questions about camping equipment, where would we go, when he wanted to go & he responds with "well I have actually been looking into buying a camper". Um - ok. A camper sounds nice. So I start asking what kind of camper he is thinking about buying & he says "an RV". Clearly we are not on the same page here.

The hubby started showing me pictures of ones that he was "interested" in & we spent a couple of Saturday's "looking" at RV's. The more we looked the more I liked :)

Then came the day where the husband found "the one". He sent me pictures of it asking what I thought & honestly I thought it was WAY more than what a little family of three might need but then I started visioning family going with us & Mason have a couple of friends go with us when he was older & it seemed perfect.

And with that said, we became owners of an RV......

 

Our 1st "glamping" event occurred this weekend. We decided to stay close to home & reserved a site out at Hillsdale State Park. Shane spent most of the day Friday setting up the RV & campsite. Unfortunately, I ended up getting stuck at work late (which later turned into a blessing) so the plan was for Shane to pick Mason up from daycare, head out to the campsite & I would join them when I got off of work.

I hadn't talked to Shane the rest of the day & after work I stopped in to Target to pick up a few things for the weekend. The weather was starting to get nasty & I could see a big storm moving in from the south so I hurried to get in & get out. As I am checking out, I overhear the lady behind me talking about a tornado that had just touched down near the area. Then the girl said it was spotted over Hillsdale Lake - the exact location of our campsite. Where Shane & Mase were supposed to be at.

My heart stopped. Time stood still. I was trying to pay for my items, dig my phone out of my purse & call Shane all at the same time. Of course he didn't answer. By now my stomach is in knots, I have NO idea where my husband & son are & I am about to drive south into this storm.

Shane finally calls me back & I ask if they were ok, if the camper is ok, where they took shelter at & he seems to have no idea why I am acting crazy with all the questions. Turns out he picked up Mason & decided to wait for me at home & planned on going out to the campsite later in the evening. He also was oblivious to the weather going on around him or the campsite 15 miles down the road.

Once I made it home through the torrential downpour, we started watching the news & these were the images of the tornado that was located right over our campsite:

 

Once the storm passed we got into the car to make our way to the campsite not knowing what shape our newly bought RV was in or what kind of damage there was at the State Park. Unfortunately, when we got there the police had barricaded the park & wasn't letting anyone in due to all the damage that had been done. So we turned around & headed back home to watch the news & see what more they were saying.

 

They had released some pictures from earlier in the evening of some of the damage that had been done at the campsites:

 

After seeing these pictures, Shane had already decided our camper was destroyed & was stressing out about the money that had been lost. Me being the calm one kept trying to reassure him that I'm sure the RV was just fine but secretly I was sick to my stomach & was afraid to see the damage done to our RV but clearly one of us had to remain calm & it wasn't my husband.

We all went to bed late that night & Shane was up at the crack of dawn after a restless night sleep. It was 6am when he woke me up & told me he was headed to the campsite. 30 minutes later I was awoke again by a text from Shane that read: "not a scratch on it."

Which I responded with: "see I told you there was nothing to worry about" & then immediately said a prayer thanking God for sparing our RV & another one for all the people that had sadly lost theirs in the storm.

Whew - thank goodness all was ok at our campsite. However the campsite located right next to us not so much. We soon discovered that all those awful pictures the news had posted of the destroyed campers was at the site right next to ours. So sad seeing so much damage.

Shane got back home, we all ate breakfast, showered, packed up & headed out to the RV & our weekend of "glamping" had begun.

I will never know why Shane changed his plans that evening. Shane doesn't even know why because he changed his mind in the car after picking up Mase. What I do know is that it was God above who intervened. It was God's doing for keeping them home - safe & sound & keeping me at work late. There is no other explanation.

Psalm 27:5

"For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling"

 

to be continued...