Cousins Camp 2013 began officially this year on Sunday afternoon, July 21st and ended on Saturday the 27th about noon. We added several new twists to keep the veteran campers interested. We really want it to be a fresh experience each time we get together. The first thing they noticed was the big banner attached to the front of the house. We grabbed a few seconds to get the first-ever photo of Steve and me with ALL ELEVEN of our grands in one place at one time. This is a harder feat than you might expect. Sam, on the front row, is scheduled to join us next year -- as long as his potty-training takes place (bless his heart), and Bethany, in my arms, will follow in a couple of years.
Another addition was a rented 15-passenger van. How else would you transport this many people from place to place??? They loved it. We rotated the seating from day to day to allow maximum interaction between all cousins, and we tried to somehow separate siblings. Sing with me now "Getting to know you, getting to know all about you. Getting to like you, getting to hope you like me." (Once a music teacher, always a music teacher. This is from "The King and I.")
We also introduced the team idea to this year's camp with the oldest three serving as captains. We started with a team-bonding scavenger hunt, but they were mostly utilized when it came time to clean up after meals.
As always, we strive for fairness in terms of rules, expectations, and responsibilities, and we think now that teams will be a permanent part of our strategy.
As a rule, electronic devices are banned from Cousins Camp. What good would it do if they were all staring at iPads, you know? Luke was allowed to bring this cellphone, however, which "only makes pictures."
On Monday, after a day of swimming in the neighborhood pool and playing games in the house while the rain came down, the sky cleared, and we went to Joe Wheeler State Park and took a cruise on a pontoon boat all the way to Wheeler Dam and back. All of us enjoyed the serenity and the abundant wildlife.
Granddaddy Steve hopes to instill a love for the river in all these grands. If you've got Pearson blood running through your veins, you've GOT to enjoy the river. It's a must.
Our theme for this year's camp was WILD ANIMALS. We followed that theme in our Bible stories and verses and in our various "mystery trips." Here we are arriving at the Birmingham Zoo on Tuesday morning. There were dark clouds and rain on the way, but the skies cleared enough for us to get in several hours of enjoyment before another downpour happened while we were inside having lunch. Later, we could talk about how God took care of us through those storms. Teachable moments.
Mahaley Swanner helped us again this year -- thank you, Mahaley!!! And, she also brought her cousin Mollie Malone. Both girls were invaluable. They were with us on Tuesday and Thursday.
On Wednesday morning, we donned our camp t-shirts for the first time and headed to Huntsville. The first stop was to the summer dollar movie to see "Racing Stripes." Hurray for how it fit with our week's theme! It was about a zebra who wanted to be a racehorse. Then, we went to Cracker Barrel for lunch, where they could show off their great table manners. :) We even got 3 compliments!!! We LOVE compliments. After lunch, we went to Harmony Park Safari, a drive-through zoo not far from Ditto Landing. As good fortune would have it, one of the first animals that came up to our car was a ZEBRA! Of course, we called him "Stripes."
Isn't it always the way? After spending a considerable amount of money, we came back home and they were immediately fascinated by a "free" pile of sand in the back of the yard. Never fails. Ha!
On Thursday morning, once again with our 2 helpers Mahaley and Mollie, we drove to Nashville. First stop the Aquarium Restaurant at Opry Mills. What a fun place! They were very interested in all the fish, and the food was good, too. I highly recommend it.
Our next stop on Thursday was to Nashville Shores, a big waterpark along the river. Even with our helpers, I was WAY too busy counting to 9 to take more than a few pictures. Nevertheless, here is Allie trying her best to get across a difficult obstacle course. She did pretty well.
Our two newest campers this year were Birti Pearson and Rosemary Rodgers. They played together so well in the pool. Rosemary trusted Birti completely. It was such a pleasure to watch them.
For the third year in a row, we awarded trophies on our last night together. Granddaddy observes them all week and then calls them up one at a time to tell them the good things that he has noticed about their attitudes and activities during the week. We hope that these trophies are a tangible reminder of a great time in their lives.
Steve and I cried Saturday afternoon when the house was empty and quiet once again. Yes, fatigue might have been a factor, but it was more because these beautiful children add so much to our lives and we wish we could be with them more often. Praise God there were no injuries or sickness. Praise God for their laughter and smiles. Praise God for the blessing of making memories.
