Myrtle Beach State Park August 2010

My sons and I have worked outside a lot over the last couple of days

(Anna is at camp).

Our outdoor thermometer got up to 99 degrees.

So it was hot working outside yesterday!

And today has been too!

But the stuff had to be done so we kept on keeping on.

I told my kids that having to be outside in this heat

reminded me of our last tent camping trip

and how miserably hot it was

but we still managed to have a lot of fun!

Wesley agreed and he remembers the trip well.

Without looking at the photos, Luke only remembers walking to 

the campground store to get slushies.

So last night, we looked at the photos.

I did not have a blog yet then.

But I did send out an email to some folks (and family and friends) 

who had wanted to know about about our trip.

And since it's such a good memory for my kids, I have decided to put the photos on my blog so that they will always have easy access to the memories which accompany the photos.

Luke and Rob had both had bronchitis the week before we went camping 

but both improved enough to go so, even though it was shortened to a 4 day trip, 

Rob and I decided it would still be worth it

- so we went.

So glad we did.  It has been one of my family's best memories.

At the time, 

Anna was almost 14 years old.

Wesley was 10 years old.

Luke was 7½ years old.

(And, even though he did not live to use it, 

Rob and I did buy another pop-up camper 

with an air conditioner not long after that trip)!

This is the email I wrote on August 30, 2010 

- 1 year and 20 days before Rob's death.

ROB HAS PNEUMONIA / CAMPING TRIP

Hi All,

What a subject line but that's our life as it is right now.  Was supposed to take my dad for a diabetic check-up today.  Instead took my husband to the doctor.  His fever has been back up over the last 3 days and he woke up with a 103.5 temperature this morning.  He has pneumonia and a small bit of pleurisy starting.  They sent him for x-rays, gave him a shot in the doctor's office, and sent him home with an antibiotic and an increased dosage of his oral steroid.  We have to be back at the doctor's office first thing in the morning.  If his fever has not broken by then, they said he would then be admitted to the hospital.  So please say a prayer for him.

Some of you have asked if we did get to go camping or not and how it went if we did.  Luke did get better enough for us to go camping on Monday.  We had a great time!  We camped for 4 days.  Everyone was basically healthy while there but I remember now why we haven't tent camped in over 14 years.  It is VERY hard on asthmatics.  Luke took his breathing treatments while watching DVD's on the laptop.  But even with that, the trip was a lot of fun.  Wesley and Luke went fishing on the pier and had so much fun bringing in a catch.  Wesley even caught 2 fish at a time once.  Anna read in the tent a lot.  Myrtle Beach State Park is a beautiful park and we enjoyed its beauty along with its campground.  We have 1 complete family picture - Rob's holding the phone while talking to Crystol so she's "sort of" in the family picture.  We played hard during the day and then watched movies on the laptop after quiet hours started.  Wesley got stung by a jellyfish.  The car wouldn't start one day.  We had great camping neighbors!  It was hot - even with fans.  We went out to eat once & Rob got to enjoy eating a lot of crab legs.  All together, it was a great trip to the beach and a lot of good old-fashioned playing together.  I believe Wesley summed it up the best with what he told me on the last day.  He said, 

"You know Mom, one day I will have a great-great-great-great-great grandchild and maybe that grandchild will be 10 years old in the year 3010 like I am in the year 2010 and I hope that 3010 is as good a year for that grandchild as 2010 has been for me!"   

Made my heart melt!

Love, Janna

(Rob answered this call because it was his brother, Bryan).

(Trying to get a photo of my Rob and me but it was hard because 

he would not quit goofing around.

I still miss that goofball self he could be.

I'm thankful I have these shots of him making me laugh). 

(Okay - so already got an email about this photo since I originally posted a few minutes ago.  I did not blur this photo.  Rob is not holding up his middle finger. 
We just happened to catch his hand in motion).

(Both of the boys' boards broke on the last day but we had duct/duck tape! 

We weren't about to buy new boards for 3 more hours of play!

Worked great!)  

(Wesley's jellyfish sting)

(Trying to get a selfie family photo.

Rob was on the phone with Crystol so it was a 

complete family photo).

(This was the best one of all, even with Wesley's funny face)!

(I wish I could remember why Luke was mad. 

I just cannot but he was mad and was not about to smile)! 

(Starting to get some smiles from Luke by this time).

(Luke wanted this series of photos to show each step 

in drawing his new sword)

GREAT MEMORIES!