Ward Campout

Tonight was one for the memory books — our annual ward campout, complete with campfires, kids running wild, and three full-sized tipis. Yes, tipis. The year before, I’d decided to build one from scratch — cutting a giant brown tarp into the right shape and using expandable pool poles for the frame. It worked surprisingly well, and this year I went all out and set up three of them.

The whole ward turned out for the campout, so there were plenty of families and even more kids, which made the campground feel like a buzzing little village. Jana and I claimed one of the tipis for ourselves, while Rieke and a new friend Shaylin from church shared another. Molly and one of her friends bunked in the third. The setup was a hit — especially with the younger kids who kept wandering over to peek inside.

We ended the night around the firepit, roasting marshmallows and telling stories under the stars. Rieke, new to the world of s’mores, made a mess and a memory all at once. It was one of those simple, perfect evenings — laughter, firelight, and the smell of pine trees — that makes you feel like time slows down, even if just for a night.