Tick Talk

Remember the friends we saw during General Conference this April? We wanted to squeeze in another visit while we still live in the same timezone, so on Saturday we met up with them halfway between our house and theirs, at a state park in Massachusetts.

It was raining at our house when we left and the rain followed us all the way up to their campsite. We arrived just in time for Bryan to use his scout skills and help rig up a tarp-shelter between the trees.

This is how close we were to the lake. It was very pretty, but also scary. I kept sharp eyes on the big three and Sophie never walked more than a few feet away from me.

Phoebe and Cooper got up close and personal with a salamander. I was impressed by their bravery and had no desire to emulate them.

We enjoyed talking with our friends and the kids had a grand time running between trees, throwing rocks in the lake, and building fairy houses. Due to the weather. we alternated between standing in the rain and standing in the campfire-smoke-filled canopy. Our kids expanded their palates by eating tinfoil dinners and s'mores, both unusual fare for us. Finally, to the consternation of our children, we decided it was time to leave so we could make the long drive home. All eight kids gathered for a picture and it only took twenty-seven tries to get a good one. For real.

Our friends, who are experienced campers, cautioned us to check carefully for ticks. We looked at feet and ankles, then got in the van and drove home. It was after 11pm when we rolled in, and I really just wanted everyone to go to sleep. But we all smelled like campfire, so a round of showers for the lot of us was ordered.

As Cooper was getting ready to wash, he called out from the bathroom that he "found something weird" on his hip. That my friends, was our first official welcome to the world of ticks on our children. Bryan, ever the professional, deftly removed the creature and we proceeded to examine the other kids. Peter was clean, but Phoebe and Sophie each had one, both in locations similar to where Cooper's had been.

Of course at this point all the laundry had to be done to wash away any possible tick-stowaways and the grownups needed to get clean as well. By the time everyone was tucked under their covers and Bryan and I were able to fall into bed, it was 1:30 in the morning. And yes, we still got up and celebrated Father's Day and then got ready for church. We were even on-time. Soooooooooooooo tired, but on-time.

In spite of the rain and the ticks, we had fun and are glad we were able to see our friends again.