39 years. That's how long my family has been doing this campout every summer. Though if we are being technical about it, this was our 37th annual family campout. In all those years, we've only missed gathering everyone together twice.
With my mom, my aunt and uncle, eight kids, their spouses, grandkids, (and now great grandkids too!) we add up to a crowd.
As we have ever since we outgrew Woods Canyon Lake, we met up at Apache Trout Campground in the Sitgreaves National Forest. We rent the biggest group site and we have the run of it for the long weekend.
My family drives about 55 hours total from Ohio to Arizona and back again for the camping weekend and it’s all worth it, because it’s the one time a year when most of my great big family is together in one place.
37 of us made it to the campout this year, and while there were 15 family members who were unable to join us, it was still a great group nonetheless. We haven't had all of my siblings in the same place all at once in a number of years, but I'm holding out hope that one of these days, we'll manage it again.
My mom told me years ago that my siblings were the greatest gift she would ever give me. I can remember laughing when she told me that and asking if I could please return a few of them. But now? I get it.
My siblings truly are some of the best parts of my life. I wouldn't trade them for anything.
This year at campout we ranged from age 2 to 86, and the memories that were made were wonderful ones. (Despite horrible winds and truly hot and miserable weather that included a lovely sunburn just minutes after unloading the van - the memories were worth it.)
When I was very young, I made campout memories on the lake with my uncle that I cherish to this day and I've watched my kids make those same camping memories over the past 20 years. And this year, watching my uncle with my nieces was a gift beyond words.
I may never be a big fan of camping trips, but I wouldn't trade our annual campouts for the fanciest vacations in the world.
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