Camping Out

Our hearts felt settled as soon as we rolled over the Laurel Ridge and found ourselves with gently rolling Pennsylvania mountains all around. We spent Friday and Saturday at the Riverhouse with Jack and Beth and Jack's parents. The Riverhouse is a special place for us. Aside from all the bonfires and bocce and fun over the years, it's also the place where M asked me to marry him, in a canoe, on the Juniata River. Laurel enjoyed her first camp out with an attentive surrogate grandma to cuddle her, and lots of birds to look at. She also seemed to like gazing into the fire. The tent was an exciting new place for her, with maybe a little too much room to roll around in (we borrowed my parents' huge cabin tent).

We came back Saturday afternoon in pouring down rain and Laurel slept the whole way in the car, until the very end, when she stopped crying after I reached around to the back seat and held her hand and stroked her fingers very gently. On Sunday M got up early with our little early bird and made her a sweet potato for breakfast. For us, more paratha and eggs fried perfectly. Then we took Laurel to her first baseball game, also accompanied by M's dad as a celebration of his birthday. And the Pirates won, with a home run as the very last play in the 10th inning. I can't say Laurel really cared much about baseball, though she did seem to really like two old guys sitting behind us. M's mom came over after the game for a cookout and Laurel ate more sweet potatoes and was happy to be entertained by Grandma Cake and Grandpa Curly.

All in all it was a good weekend and a grand way to celebrate birthdays and graduations. Right now I'm listening to M quietly pick a few Carter family songs while we sip on ice cold PBR. Laurel's asleep upstairs, the laundry is done, and I have a feeling that 31 is going to be a very good year for me.