Kelly's blog: Bates Go Camping

Before I get to this week’s blog, I want to let all of you know how grateful our family is for the love and support you’ve given the show over the last few weeks. We hope and pray that the show continues to make a positive impact and encourages others. Thank you all!
Happy New Year Everyone! It’s a chilly 36 degrees in Rocky Top today, so watching this week’s episode sure makes me miss warmer weather! I have to admit Lawson speaks the truth when he says, “it’s always hard to get going when we’re doing something as a family,” but as the Mom I’ll add, it’s always worth it! Camping is an activity that is a lot of work for mom and dad and it may not be restful (especially with snoring), but we make those sacrifices anyway because we know it will be a great family memory for the kids. It was also a breath of fresh air to get away from the busyness, the hectic schedules and responsibilities (I’m sure a lot of moms can relate). One of Gil’s favorite tidbits of advice for families is, “You need to come apart, so you don’t come apart.” It’s a play on words, but what it means is that families need to have some get away time together to help spare them from the feelings of being overwhelmed, which often can infiltrate a mom’s overworked mind. Another favorite bit of advice Gil gives is, “Families that play together, stay together.” We suggest having lots of “making memories” time together. Years later, no one will remember how hard it was to plan or to pack or to sleep there…but they’ll all remember the laughter when Tori backed into the trailer. They’ll remember laughing when the canoe tipped or when dad kept the entire lot of campers awake with his snoring. They’ll remember all of the great times together and all will be treasured memories. That’s what family is all about! I hope this encourages you to make more time for making memories.
Love, Kelly