White Sands National Monument

In July we took a trip to White Sands National Monument. It is part of a 275 square miles field of white sand dunes composed of gypsum crystals. It is the largest gypsum dune field in the world, smack dab in the middle of the desert and it is absolutely beautiful! We have gone several times and spent the day sledding down the dunes but this time we got to spend the night! It was a campout! It was a whole process to be able to camp there. You have to be part of an organization, they don't just let families camp there. This was a work trip for me. I work with the New Mexico FIESTA Project as a Family Contact. As a Family Contact I provide training and support groups for foster and adoptive parents, and we do family activities too. Creating community for families formed through adoption, like mine. 

We had a blast! Several families from the different areas we serve came and we chatted while the kids wore themselves out sliding down the dunes over and over and over again. They didn't even want to stop for S'mores... S'MORES people! They were just having too much fun! When it got too dark to sled anymore we all went to our respective campsites and called it a night. Well, there was quite the lightning storm going on so my husband and I took a blanket up to the top of the dune and watched the lightning. It was nice. The girls ended up coming up there too for a little bit. I could of slept up there if I wasn't so scared of scorpions. So, we went to our tent. 

Then the storm got closer. And closer. And closer. Our tent was blowing over, the wind was not letting up. There we were at 1 AM taking down our tent, hoping not to wake the baby in the camp next to us. So, with the girls moved to the van and the tent down. And down for good because the poles snapped. We tried to get comfortable in the van. We made it in just before the rain came. After it stopped Rab slept outside the van door on my cot. I slept or tried to sleep in a very tight space on the floor of the van, I quickly gave up on that and moved to the passenger seat. The dark haired child slept under one of the back seats while the blonde one got one of the whole seats to herself to sleep on. She was unmovable. When we woke up at the crack of dawn she said, "That was a very restful sleep." Say what?? She was the only one. 

We had pop tarts for breakfast, visited with the other families and headed out around 9 AM. We stopped at BK for an early lunch and came home and had a very lazy day! 

As I am writing this it dawned on me that every single time we have gone camping it has rained. And I'm not talking a slight drizzle, there has been times where it has been hail and a torrential downpour!