Our First Camping Trip With a Baby


Some wonderful person gave me and Devin a tent as a wedding present (which I don't think we registered for...), and so we went camping a TON when we were first married! (I.e., this trip and this, too.) For $40, we camped at state parks and filled the days with hiking and the evenings with keeping a fire going.

However, since having Aiden a year and a half ago, we hadn't gone camping! We figured we better at least give it a try before having TWO kids, so with me 36 weeks pregnant, we went away to French Creek State Park.

I'm not going to lie, camping with a toddler can be mildly stressful. As we set up the tent, Aiden would run in circles around our car and so I'd look up and he'd be GONE, which made me panic...only to find out he was 4 steps away. Then, before his bedtime, we made a small fire at our campsite and spent the next half-hour making sure he didn't go near it. ALSO not the most relaxing thing ever.

Despite trying to keep him at our campsite/away from fire, we had a blast going for walks (definitely wouldn't call it a hike) around the park. We even found an amphitheater in the middle of the woods, which gave my big sweaty pregnant self a chance to sit on a real bench and gave Aiden the chance to run freely and explore the area.

Devin and I didn't take one single picture together the whole weekend, which is just a testament to how much fun we were having. The camera only was out once or twice, and the rest of the time was spent enjoying our time together. Sitting around the fire and talking to Devin (once Aiden had gone to bed!!!!!!) was a highlight of the trip. We talked about how unlikely it was that we started dating in high school, how perfect it was that he started following Jesus right before we met, what God's currently teaching us...it was perfect.







Also, make sure to check out why I think hiking is the best vacation activity and my tips for hiking with a baby.

Have you ever gone camping, with or without kids? What are some of your favorite weekend getaway memories? 

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