SOMEWHAT CONTROLLED CHAOS: Camping with friends!

Denise and I decided to take the kids and go camping up at Crow Butte for a week this summer. It's pretty much impossible to get our work-aholic spouses to be able to take time off in the summer so this has become a bit of a tradition, to take the kids and just go to a local (as in within an hour) campsite for a week in the summer. We're both becoming pretty good at the 'manly' things like pulling campers - ok...her much better than me since Bob always manages to do that part for me - and backing in trailers etc. A great way to make sure you learn how to operate a boat? Take your kids camping for a week without your husband! You have two choices. Let them hang around and drive you nuts or learn how to load, unload and operate the boat to keep them entertained! It's much easier to do the boat thing!
Anyway, this year we tried something different and went up to Crow Butte. It's only about 45-50 minutes from home, turned out to be a beautiful campground and we got pretty lucky with the weather. It's known as being kinda windy up there but I think there was only 2 days that we didn't go out on the water - which truth be told were kind of nice and relaxing days! The one thing that made me nervous was the 'beware of rattlesnake' signs posted everywhere. Which I seriously meant to get a picture of but in the entire week we were there never managed to do. I figured if anybody was going to get involved with a rattlesnake it would be Tyler!
He has been given many lectures over the years about if you see a snake you run away. Never ever ever go check it out and try to see it closer. Wouldn't you know it, one of the first nights we're sitting there we hear some commotion coming from the neighboring campsites(where a large group of kids including our own were hanging out) and a bunch of kids yelling "snake snake!" Tyler was in the midst of it all and as I jump up yelling "tyler come here, come here!" he proceeds to run closer TOWARDS the stupid snake! By that time one of the dads had already ran over there, picked up the harmless bullsnake with a stick and was in the process of removing it but in the meantime Tyler was determined to get closer to "see if it had a rattle" And that would be why I have started to "cheat" to hide my numerous gray hairs that seem to be sprouting overnight!
The first night that we were there, it was just Denise & I and our kids. So we got everything set up, poured ourselves a glass of wine(or something of that nature) and were off to a nice relaxing start. It's always very busy leading up to going camping so by about 10ish we figured we would head off to bed and get the kids settled. About 10 minutes later there's a frantic pounding on my camper door. "auntie Julaine Auntie Julaine, mom's stuck! you need to come quick hurry!" Calvin & Ellie were breathless and frantic by the door. So I tried to remain fairly calm "ok Ashley, get the kids ready for bed. You guys all stay here. I'll be right back" Not sure what I would find or exactly where she was stuck! Turns out she went to make a bed in the back of the camper, wasn't really paying attention to the fishing road sticking out underneath the bed and managed to get a barbed fish hook completely imbedded into her leg! As in the hook could not possible have gone in any further or any deeper. After looking at it for awhile and tugging on it a little it was very apparent that we were not going to be able to pull this thing out. They are barbed hooks for a reason! She was very insistent that she did NOT want to go down to the hospital so we had to figure out a plan of action. I asked her what the strongest alcohol she had along was. Not too numb the pain as she was hoping but to try and sterilize a knife. To make a long story even longer....with the help of some ice cubes for numbing the area, a boiled exacto knife out of the tool box, a little cutting and a lot of neosporin the hook was removed & she didn't lose her leg to infection:) The scar will now be nothing more than a great story to tell. Although I really wish I would have gotten some pictures of that whole exciting event!
Throughout the week a couple of other friends came up and joined us, a few scrapes, a cute scar and a broken toe were the remnants of a great week!