Step by Step Parenting

Several months ago, I had an idea: What if my husband and I took all five kids and the dog camping?

My husband and I took just our puppy camping last summer. I had found out that I was pregnant only one day beforehand, and we spent the whole weekend excitedly planning and daydreaming our future. We hadn’t told anyone that we were expecting yet, and it was nice to have a little getaway where we could celebrate, just the two of us. It ended up being one of the last weeks I felt “normal” before the pregnancy symptoms really kicked in, so we were really glad that we went.

At some point while I was pregnant, I decided that we should go camping again next summer, but take all the kids. I did the math in my head and booked a site at the same campground for August, right before the twins would be six months old. I knew we wouldn’t all fit in our tent, though, so I reserved a cabin that was listed as having one queen-sized bed and three twin-sized beds: perfect for my husband and I, and our three older kids. The plan was to put the twins in a pack-n-play. The cabin was also listed as being pet friendly, so I figured what the heck, may as well bring the dog again. She had enjoyed it well enough last year.

I’m aware this sounds crazy on paper, but I promise it really wasn’t that outlandish of a plan. I already take care of five kids and a dog every day at home; this would be the same, just in a cabin in the woods instead of at my house. I wasn’t planning on elaborate campfire meals or six adventures in a day; just hot dogs and s’mores, a hike or two, and hanging around the camp. The campground has a playground, gem mining, cornhole, foam axe throwing, a petting zoo, a camp store that could have everything you could possibly need, and more. Plus, it was only two hours away, so if it really went poorly, we could just leave. All in all, it was a pretty low-stakes adventure.

We hyped it up big time for the kids, though. Between pregnancy and postpartum, my law school schedule, our custody arrangements, and the fact that we are pretty much living paycheck to paycheck, we don’t really go on vacations that often (or ever). If we do, we don’t bring all of the kids, and it’s usually my parents’ vacation that we’re invited to join them on. This is hard because I grew up traveling a ton, and want to be able to provide the same for my kids. We’re just not there yet. It’s also further complicated because my husband’s two kids travel a lot with their mom, so they frequently ask us why we don’t go to Disney, or on Disney cruises, or to the beach. I would be lying if I said this didn’t sting just a little. They constantly compare us to their mom’s house and ask us why we don’t eat out more, why we don’t go on vacations, why they don’t each have iPads or Nintendo Switches at our house, and more. Over the years, it’s become clear that we are not the fun house. But this is all a topic for another day. The point is, even though camping for two nights wouldn’t be anything glamorous, I just wanted at least one opportunity to go on a trip with our whole family (for the first time!) and make some memories.

I spent all of Thursday running around the house, trying to pack everything we needed. I had made a packing list for myself, each of the three older kids, the twins, the dog, a list of things we would need for the cabin, and a grocery list. Kevin would have been more than happy to help with some of this had I asked, but admittedly, I just didn’t want to hand over any control. I wanted this camping trip to be perfect, and I wanted to make sure nothing was left behind. By Friday morning, all we had to do was load up the cars and stop by the grocery store, and we were good to go!

Driving to the Mountains & Setting Up Camp

I had to put Ginger’s crate in the back of my car, meaning that I had to fold down my third row, so we had to take two cars. For the first part of the drive, my daughter Eloisa rode in my back row in between the twins, with Kennedy in the front seat with Ginger, and Thomas rode in Kevin’s car. Thomas especially was very excited that there was a “boy’s car.” I stopped at McDonald’s on our way out since I hadn’t had breakfast in all of the morning rush to leave, and then we hit the road!

The first part of the drive went okay, but Ginger was clearly not happy to be sharing her passenger seat with Kennedy. Kennedy, on the other hand, was thrilled to be all cuddled up with Ginger! The twins happily babbled until they fell asleep, and I thanked my lucky stars that they weren’t crying yet. Last time we had driven to the mountains, it was a struggle to even get there because they hated the car so much. Kevin and I met up at the same Chick-fil-a we always stop at when we drive to the mountains, and since he had more than enough room, I sent Kennedy to ride in his car so that Ginger could have more space. The second we got back on the rode, Ginger spread out on the front seat and passed out, happy to have her own space again!

By some miracle, the twins stayed happy the rest of the drive. Evelyn had started to cry right as we pulled up to the campsite, but I just unbuckled her and took her into the office with me to check in. The campground is owned by a couple probably around my parent’s age, and the woman behind the front counter was very excited to meet Evelyn, and even more excited when I told her that there was two! Kevin pulled in just behind me, so we got the key to the cabin and were on our way.

We pulled into the driveway of our cabin and went inside, and it was then that I realized I had made a mistake. You see, the listing photos made it look like there were two rooms, when in fact, it was one room. The beds were all arranged end-to-end, and that took up the whole cabin. I had known that there would be no running water and no air-conditioning, but I hadn’t been prepared for all eight of us to share… one room…

We made it work, though, and the kids thought it was very exciting. I set them up at the picnic table on the deck with a coloring book and some crayons while Kevin and I unloaded the car and set everything up. By around 3:00pm, it was all good to go, and we had not plans for the rest of the day other than to make a fire at some point and do dinner. Since we had time to kill, I wore Evelyn in a baby carrier and rounded up the three older kids to go explore the campgrounds, leaving Kevin and Emersyn behind to rest for a bit.

There was a big lawn across from the office/store where we had checked in, and as soon as we got there, the kids took off. They were thrilled that there was a pirate ship playground, as well as loads of games and toys scattered throughout the yard. Once they discovered the gem mining station, they begged and begged to do it, so I walked over to the store and bought a big back for them to sift through. They squealed with delight each time they found fool’s gold, an arrowhead, an amethyst, or anything else that they thought looked cool. Around 4:30pm, we headed back to the cabin so that we could start dinner.

Making Dinner & Surviving the Night

Once we were back to camp, I took over watching Emersyn, as well as Evelyn, so that Kevin could start our fire for dinner. The kids were put to work and helped him gather some kindling, and they loved watching the fire grow. Dinner was nothing fancy — just hot dogs and potato chips — but it was so good! Also, yes, that’s mustard and BBQ sauce on my hot dog… I picked that up from my husband!

After dinner, we kept the fire going so that we could roast marshmallows and make s’mores. In true princess fashion, I requested that a perfectly toasted and constructed s’more be handed to me on a plate, and my husband delivered! And in true kid fashion, all three kids complained that they hadn’t actually wanted s’mores, they just wanted their marshmallow “not hot” and their chocolate “not touching.” I just dumped the s’mores supplies on the picnic table and let them have it.

With dinner and dessert out of the way, it was time to start getting all five kids ready for bed. We weren’t too sure how to handle bedtime with all seven of us sleeping in the same room. Normally at home, the twins go down around 7:00pm, and the big kids stay up until closer to 8:00pm. I wish I could say after that, Kevin and I promptly go to bed… but if you’ve read my blog before, you know that Kevin doesn’t even get home from work until after 11:00pm, so that does not happen!

We decided to try getting all of the kids dressed for bed, and then have the older kids wait and play outside while we put the twins down, after which we would all sneak back in and go to bed around 8:30pm. The twins always go to bed fairly quickly at home, so we thought that this would be a foolproof plan.

The three older kids were all super excited to wear their new onesies to bed! The girls both had stitch onesies, and Thomas had Sonic. Once everybody had pajamas on, we hung around the fire for a bit. The kids are really big into telling “ghost stories” right now, but none of them understand exactly how to do it. The “ghost stories” end up being long, rambling, confusing tales that really amuse the storyteller more than anyone else! Still, everybody was laughing, and after telling stories, we read scriptures (I just read a chapter from the New Testament with the kids every day) and snuck back into the cabin for bedtime.

The twins were excited to see us back in the cabin, which would have been cute if they weren’t supposed to be asleep!

Kevin and I spent the next two hours rocking Emersyn and Evelyn, silently praying that they would fall asleep. We tried milk, then more milk, then more. I could see the older kids tossing and turning in their beds, probably as bummed about missing out on sleep as Kevin and I were. Finally, well after 9:30pm, Evelyn drifted off.

The twins, although they were tough to get to bed, then slept all night. The only problem? Kevin and I didn’t! It was so hot in that cabin, easily at least fifteen degrees hotter than it was outside. I never slept longer than two or three hour stretches that night, and when I did, I had weird dreams. At one point, I woke up with a start because I thought I heard a bear sniffing around our campsite. I was worried that maybe one of the kids had dropped some food and was wondering how I would barricade our cabin door against a black bear, when I realized… it was just Kevin snoring!

The sun rose around 6:30am, and everyone started to wake up after that. Kevin and I didn’t feel rested, but all three older kids said they slept goods, and the twins were as smiley as ever!

A Morning Hike at Linville Falls

Since we were all awake, we got ready and headed straight for the trailhead, hoping to beat the heat. I packed two of the kids’ backpacks with snacks and told them they would have to take turns carrying them, and I attached Ginger’s leash to my fanny pack that I was wearing under the baby carrier. I’m sure we were quite the sight!

The campground was right near Linville Falls, somewhere I’ve been visiting since I was just a girl. It’s one of the most family-friendly hikes in the area, and has several stunning views of the waterfalls. Linville Gorge, where the falls are located, is often called the “Grand Canyon of the East,” and it is truly spectacular.

Many of the hikes in the Gorge (and in the Appalachian Mountains in general) are extremely steep and rocky. A lot of visitors from the western part of the United States wrongfully assume that because the mountains are smaller than out west, that the hikes are easier. As someone who has hiked all over the country, I have found the opposite to be true! The trails out here just jut straight up the mountainsides, and when you add in the humidity? It’s rough. We weren’t up for anything crazy with the kids, and especially with Kevin and I each wearing a twin and me hiking with the dog, so we just stuck to simple, short trails for the weekend.

Not three minutes into the hike, Eloisa fell, scraping both knees and an elbow in the process. It looked way worse than it was, but she was pretty shaken by it. Kennedy offered to hold her hand to make her feel better, which cheered Eloisa up, so it was onwards to the falls! As soon as we got there, Eloisa announced that she had to use the bathroom and no she couldn’t hold it, so we stayed just long enough to snap a few pictures before heading back to the parking lot.

Hikes Along the Blue Ridge Parkway

After Linville Falls, we went back to the cabin to chill for a bit before heading back out around 9:00am. Kevin had picked a spot along the Blue Ridge Parkway that he wanted to visit, and it was only about a twenty minute drive away.

We hadn’t been in the car five minutes, though, when Evelyn started to cry. And when she cries, she cries. With the three older kids talking and Evelyn crying at the same time, my brain was beginning to feel like a fried egg. One of the biggest things I struggle with postpartum is sensory overload, and crying is definitely a trigger. Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore. I couldn’t talk and could barely think, and it felt like my skin was crawling. I asked my husband if he could pull over at the next overlook so that I could take Evelyn out of her car seat, change her diaper, and just hold her for a bit until she calmed down.

We happened to pull over into a parking lot for a trail I had never heard of, with a sign that said it was an “easy 30 minute walk to a scenic view.” This sounded perfect, so I asked Kevin if he would be willing to do this before we went on to the stop that he had picked out. He said sure, and who knows, maybe Evelyn was crying for a reason, so she could lead us to this hike! It was called Flat Rock Loop Trail, and it was AMAZING!

There were signs all along the way for the kids, identifying different plants and animals. It was shaded the whole time. The views from the top were spectacular. It really was a great surprise. I did accidentally break Kevin’s water bottle at the top, though, which he was bummed about… it was in one of the backpacks that the kids were carrying, and when I was trying to get a photo of them, I took the backpack and tossed it onto the ground. Oops! All is well that ends well, though, and I assured him that I would buy him a new one.

Evelyn was happy the whole hike, too, as was Emersyn. They both love being outside, and were looking around wide-eyed the whole time. We got several comments along the lines of, “Wow, you guys sure do have your hands full!” and they weren’t wrong! We love it, though, and wouldn’t have it any other way.

After the unplanned-but-perfect hike, we stopped for a snack break before heading to our original destination, the Linn Cove Viaduct Visitor Center, which was only another ten minutes away.

Upon arriving at the visitor center, we discovered that it was closed, which was a bummer because that was the one thing that my husband had wanted to see! The area of the mountains we were visiting was badly damaged by Hurricane Helene back in September 2024, and many places never recovered. The visitor center was one of them, sadly. There was a trail leaving from the parking lot to see the viaduct up close, though, so we opted to do that instead while I attempted to explain to an eight-year-old and two five-year-olds what “viaduct” meant.

The hike meandered through and past some pretty cool caves, which the older kids absolutely loved. Emersyn, after fighting a nap all day, finally fell asleep in the carrier. However, the trail seemed to lead to nowhere in particular, so eventually we just turned around. It was right around lunch time at this point, so our only plans for the rest of the day where to get back to the cabin, make sandwiches for lunch, play around the campground until dinner, make dinner, then go to bed.

An Afternoon at the Campground

Miraculously, both twins fell asleep in their pack-n-play as soon as we got back to the cabin. With twins, it can be really hard for either parent to ever get great rest, especially on vacation, because each parent is always holding one of the babies. Since it was so late in the day, I wasn’t as tired as I had been when I woke up, but I knew that Kevin was, so I told him to hang back at the cabin while the kids and I went out to play.

We all had fun doing the foam axe-throwing, even if some of us (okay, all of us) struggled to actually stick any on the target! We also visited the camp store, where each kid got a mini Jesus figurine for free (read more about that here). You can add anything from the store “to your tab” that you pay when you check out, so I got a nice cold Sparkling Ice to sip on while I watched the kids run around the huge lawn. It was moments like that which made me want to take the whole family camping in the first place. In a world that is constantly shoving things in your face, even to kids — iPads, school for 6+ hours a day, extracurriculars, homework, etc. — I think it’s so important to have time as a family to disconnect from all the noise and spend quality time together.

I’m sure when I was growing up, my parents worried about what to get me and my siblings for Christmas, what sports to sign us up for, and if we had enough friends. But honestly, some of my fondest memories from my childhood were the simple things, like using my dollhouse as a hotel for my brother’s Hot Wheels cars, hiking with my dad at a local state park, or riding scooters around the neighborhood with my siblings. Nothing crazy. Nothing fancy. Just fun.

Heading Home Early

When we went back to the cabin, Kevin had started a fire for dinner, and we just had the same thing as the night before. Around 5:30pm, Emersyn started crying, and nothing seemed to help. It was too early for bedtime. She didn’t want milk. I was starting to get flashbacks from the night before, and when I looked over to Kevin and could tell he was thinking the same thing. The thought of trying to get all five kids to sleep in the sauna the one-bedroom cabin again kind of made me want to cry.

“What if we just… left now?” I asked Kevin. We checked the time and the GPS. If we could pack up quickly, we could be home before 9:00pm. Since we had already had dinner, the only thing we’d be missing out on is just another night in the cabin. We were planning on leaving first thing in the morning anyways.

“Sounds good to me!” Kevin replied, having to raise his voice over Emersyn’s screams.

I sent him to the office to checkout, and proceeded to pack up everything as quickly as I could. We were on the road within the hour, and as predicted, home just before 9:00pm. Sure, we had to give the three older kids a bath as soon as we got home, because I was not allowed to let them crawl into their clean beds smelling like a campfire. Bedtime was a little later that night than normal. But the fact that we were able to sleep in air-conditioning made it all worth it!

Overall, it was a really fun trip, even if it did only last one night instead of two. We are looking forward to returning to the same campsite next year for our third annual family campout! Except… maybe next time we’ll book an air-conditioned cabin.