A Box of Memories

Sometime in the 80s, my dad decided to build a box we could use for camping.  A special box with shelves we could store our dishes in and a fold out counter top so we could prep our meals.  It was given the (rather uninspired) name of Camp Kitchen.  

Camping has been a big part of my whole life, (and now our kids' lives) and the Camp Kitchen chronicles much of it.  Throughout the years, we have added stickers from the places we've camped (we haven't always been diligent about it, so there are many, many places not represented), and looking at it is like taking a little journey back in time.  

The Camp Kitchen conjures up many childhood memories. . .

• Loading it (carefully) into the back of the '78 station wagon in the 80s
• Hikes in the hot dunes and through cool fall foliage
• When the tent flew off the top of the station wagon (on the interstate!) on our drive home
• Singing songs at the campfire with our big group of church friends

as well as many memories made by my husband and me, with our new family. . .

• Our first camping trip a few weeks after our wedding, using a borrowed tent
• Our excursions into the mountains of Colorado, complete with snow on top of the tent
• Our first trips with our kids in our pop-up, cramming two play pens into the open floor space
• Trips with grandparents and cousins
• Wild adventures out west, up north, down south and out east, creating priceless family time

The Camp Kitchen hasn't gone on all of these adventures with us, but it has traveled many, many miles with us - even internationally (Canada counts!)

The Camp Kitchen isn't long for this world, I fear, having been repaired and shored up many times along the way.  But it still hangs on, even these 30+ years later.  I bet my dad had no idea when he built it the mileage it would see.  I'm hoping it has a few more years left -- we still have more camping adventures planned!