Here is my "top ten thankful list"after a trip to the Great Outdoors with my oldest son Judah and a friend of mine who also brought along his four year old boy.

10. Good friends will always let you borrow their camping gear when you are in desperate need.
Thanks Matt and Eric for the hooking us up. My heart (and back) are eternally grateful.

9. Nathan's hot dogs on a stick can hit the spot every time.

8. Within minutes of capture, toads and caterpillars can become beloved pets to a pair of 4yr olds.

7. Those beloved "pets" can keep a pair of dangerously curious 4yr olds occupied long enough for their dads to masterfully assemble proper living quarters....for hours if necessary:)

6. The dirty underwear of a 4 yr old hanging from a tree branch does not greatly damage the ozone layer.

5. The dirty underwear of a 4 yr old hanging from a tree branch does not overpower the smell of a even a somewhat weak campfire.

4. 4 yr olds can not only keep up with grown men on a 3 mile hike through the woods, they can do it without complaining or even pulling a single muscle in the process.

3. Flashlight batteries only have a certain life expectancy. Even energizer's reach a point where they graciously stop going.

2. Wives know how to pack men's bags before letting them out of the house...especially when their children's lives depend on it.

1. I am not getting to heaven based on my camping skills.

The Great Outdoors are Great because we have a Great Heavenly Father who made them for us to enjoy.

Thanks Dad for a memorable day in your back yard with a few of my favorite people!