Once we were on the road to the campout I felt so pleased with myself, and the joy factor in the suburban, from the boys, was brimming over the top. I felt quite accomplished to have packed for 6 of us. Well, the boys were a huge help, and we made a list of all that we needed.Then the boys strategically gathered all the things that were on the list.

Now we have gone to many many campouts, but since this was the first one we were going to without the expert packer, things were a little askew in the vehicle. You see Den has it down to a science on how everything fits. The boys, on the other hand, had a different perspective, which was if you could shove, squeeze or pack it in then we were good to go. I allowed them to be in charge of this, with the small advice that biggest and heaviest items should go in first. Ohhhh.... I should have said more.

By the time I grabbed Roman, diaper bag, my purse and headed out to the vehicle I could scarcely find room for the baby. Luckily, the baby seat remains in the vehicle at all times or I am sure we would have had to strap him to the luggage rack on top.

Surprisingly, three of the 5 boys were all the way in the back row. I was a little bewildered by this, considering they had to strattle, hurdle, and climb over everything in the second row only to have to nose dive into the backseat. However, I had the inclination that none of them wanted to sit next to the baby, to have to be responsible for binky flinging recovery. You see, Roman has learned a new trick, which is you put in my pacifier, I pull it out, throw it, and you find it. He loves this game, but the playmate is less than thrilled. So, needless to say, Roman's side passengers were sleeping bags, pillows, diaper bag, and honestly I don't know what else. I do believe there was a crockpot rolling about in the second row as well though.

We had to stop at Wal-Mart to get a few lingering items, so in order for everyone to pile out of the third row, there was a lot of grunting and groaning involved, and when the door came bursting open so did some other belongings onto the paved ground below. This is when I made it clear that things were going to be moved towards the back, and a living being would actually be sitting beside the baby.

Once we got back on the road, with some sense of rhyme and reason to the seating arrangement, we turned up the tunes and off we went down the highway. Now I am a with-it mom, or I like to think so, but some music from my boys repetoire just doesnt suit me, but on this occasion I decided to pull out all the stops. We cranked up some music that got the suburban a rocking and rolling down the highway. The boys were singing at the top of their lungs, and I would smile and act like I knew the next line right along with me. It was at this time that I shot a look into my rearview mirror, to which I could see Abram had a serious look on his face, and he was trying to get my attention. So I turned down the music, to the others boys impatience, and said, "Hang on boys. Abram, what do you need honey?"

He said, "Mom, It's okay if you bump into Jesus right?"

With a puzzled look on my face I respond with, "What?"

Again, he says, " Isn't it okay to bump into Jesus? I mean God won't be mad right?"

The boys and I give each other a little sideway glance, and I say, "Ummm yeah, I guess so."

He says, "Well God can't be mad, because HE made him invisible."

I chuckle heartily and I say, " That's right baby, I wouldn't worry about it."

Isaiah laughs contagiously now and says, "That Abram!"

I give him a huge smile and say, "Okay now let's be quiet and just listen to some music okay?"

He agrees. So we crank up the music again, and I glance back in my rearview mirror and Mr. Serious is now able to relax and enjoy the music with the rest of us. There is nothing like a good old fashioned road trip with just me and my boys.

"The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. (Titus 2:3-5)