Rope Swings & Quiet Moments: A Weekend Reset at the Lake

This past weekend, I packed up the truck with the essentials—cooler full of food, firewood, paddleboards, bikes, sleeping bags, and more snacks than seemed humanly necessary. (These kids eat a lot.) I headed to the lake with my two youngest kids and one of their friends for a little getaway.

We wished Kelly and my two older kids, Maleah and Brody could have joined us, but there will be more adventures down the road.

It was about a 2.5-hour drive, enough time for them to ask “Are we there yet?” more than a few times. When we got to the lake, the ranger gave us the freedom to choose our site. So we drove around the campground, checking out at least ten different spots. Some were close to the water, some had shade, some were wide open—but we kept looking for the one.

And then we found it. A quiet little site right on the shoreline, with a huge tree… and a rope swing.

That was it. That was our spot.

The kids were out of the truck before I had it fully parked, running straight for the rope swing like it was calling them by name.

I stayed back and started unloading, setting up camp solo while they swung and played and laughed like only kids can. And honestly? I didn’t mind.

A few years ago, I probably would have made them help set up first. I would’ve told them, “We all pitch in before the fun starts.” But something’s shifted in me. Life feels too short to hold onto those old rules so tightly.

They’re kids. This is their moment. Go swing. Go laugh. I’ll set up camp.

Later, once everything was in place, I had a rare moment to sit down and take it all in. The stillness of the lake. The trees surrounding us. The breeze moving gently across the water. And the sounds of my kids somewhere nearby—laughing, exploring, just being free. It felt like peace. Not just out there in nature, but inside of me.

The next couple of days were filled with swims, paddleboarding sessions, bike rides around the dirt trails, and cooking meals over the fire.

I watched them build their own adventures, work things out between each other, and make the kind of memories I know they’ll carry for a long time.

And somewhere in there, I got to be a part of it—not as the guy orchestrating it all, but as the quiet witness. The one making breakfast on the camp stove and sneaking photos from behind my coffee cup.

There’s something about camping that resets me. No Wi-Fi, no distractions, no tight schedules. Just the basics. Just time. And honestly, that’s what we all needed—time together, time outside, time to just be.

These are the moments that remind me what really matters and why I’m working to shape life in a new direction. Slower, simpler, more intentional. Not perfect, but real.

I want more weekends like this. Not for the highlight reel, but for the soul.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Please feel free to share or comment below.

Have a great day ✨