There's really great camping trips....and then there was this one!

Anxious to try out the new Toy Hauler we just purchased a few weeks ago, we decided to take a last minute weekend trip up to Lake Isabella with our friends, the Berggrens, who also recently purchased their first trailer. We wanted to give it a trial run before our long weekend to Big Bear coming up in a few weeks. We were all packed up and ready to go! We were excited! We loaded up, hitched up, and hit the road. Well, we came to a not-so-screeching halt when Dave realized his brakes were just not working properly. Something was not right. So we turned back for home. After some phone calls and investigation, Dave decided to change the brakes and calipers. So, four hours later, we were back on the road. Then began the very "uncomfortable" 3 hour drive up to the lake. It was about 105 outside, with no air conditioning in the truck. Dave had taken the truck to have the freon recharged a while back, but it kept leaking back out, which proved there are other problems, which up to this moment, have not been repaired yet. Then add climbing several hills pulling a large trailer, and you get a truck that's overheating (along with a family of 5!) It literally felt like someone had a blowdryer on my body! It's been a long day!!! We're hot, we're hungry, we're tired! We can't wait to get there!

I figured we would find relief from the heat once we got there, but to my surprise, it was not cooling down, even after the sunset. It was very hot and humid, especially inside the trailer. We ran the air conditioning in the trailer until quiet hours began at 10pm, and then we had to shut off our generator, so no more air ): It was miserably hot inside the trailer, and no better outside, which amounted to most of our family being up most of the night!

The next morning brought new hopes of a better day. We packed up our lunch and swim gear, and headed up the lake to the Kern River. Ahhh.....lovely! The lake was refreshing and so much fun. Dave bought a raft,Scott bought a tube, and we took turns going down the river (it was like mini-rapids!) It was so much fun, and so very cool! We had a lovely lunch and continued to play in the river. Then it all went downhill from there. Kassie began vomiting, and this began what we soon would find out would be a nasty and highly contagious flu which we would all end up with by the next day. Within 3 hours of Kassie coming down with it, Claire, Paige, and Scott would all have it. And it was NASTY! And in a trailer, to boot! We originally had plans to leave and go home Saturday night, because we didn't want to deal with the heat any longer, but decided it to be wise to stay overnight with our friends, in case they needed anything. Scott was in no position to drive home. We got permission from the camp host to run our generators the second night, so the air conditioning in the trailer made a huge difference in our comfort level the second night. We hitched up and left by 9am Sunday morning. A couple of hours later, the Berggrens were able to get on the road, with Kelly having to drive home. (She would later come down with the flu the minute they got home! God knew she needed to take care of her sick family!)

At last, we were safely back home, after a much cooler and relaxing drive home, and glad to be there! God was so gracious, and still sovereign over every detail. A few hours after our arrival home, Luke began vomiting, followed by Vance, and then Dave. My stomach was not right, and I have been nauseous since Sunday, but no vomiting. Austin never had a symptom at all. He must have "Super-Immune-System"! All in all, it turned out to be an interesting weekend, to say the least. One of the weekends where you look back and say, "Had I known, I just would have stayed home!" But it was a good exercise in patience, thankfulness, and joy in the midst of dealing with things that are hard and uncomfortable. We have been given so much by a gracious God. We can't complain!