Saturday, July 12, 2008

Cousin Camp-2008-Details

Ah, what can I say about Cousin Camp? The idea came from my aunt,my mom's only sibling, several years ago. It began as a weeklong time for her to spend with her 8 grandchildren. At the time, her oldest daughter was moving around with her family while her husband finished a medical residency in radiology. My aunt saw this as a time that the cousins could get to know each other.Later,my aunt invited my mom and her only grandchild(my son) to join them.In the first few years it wasn't as much fun to us adults(the five "first cousins"), due to the young ages of the children(the nine "second cousins",diaper age to 6th grade).Much time was spent watching them in the pool,making sure they had naps,didn't wake up at the crack of dawn etc. The fellowship between the adult cousins,parents of these kids,was great, though.It always has been. This year there was an ease about it in the best way.
The two oldest graduated from high school in May. One in Tennessee and one in Arkansas. Of course, we all traveled to see both graduations, a week apart.These two oldest cousins STILL wanted to come to cousin camp!
There's food all over the place.One refrigerator holds only soda,bottles of water and gallons and gallons of their favorite ice creams and popsicles. The other fridge is weighed down with all our "favorites". The parents usually bring a new food discovery..maybe a dip or a main dish or a dessert. Food is one of the centers of the week.
Sunday night is opening night. We have the cousin camp t-shirt "reveal". It's a secret until that night. There is always a scripture that is the theme of the week. This year:Christ in you, the hope for glory. Artwork on the tee came from our Lutheran cousin's church parament. Suffice it to say, it did look VERY Lutheran. My first Lutheran looking t-shirt, whatever that means!Usually, it's homecooking for that meal. We also have a time of devotion and singing. The two oldest boys play guitar and my son added keyboard percussion with me on the piano. We sing mainly praise choruses along with maybe a couple of more in depth christian songs. My aunt sees this week as a chance to share our faiths with each other, which we do in our own individualistic ways. Denominations include:southern baptist,lutheran,non-denominational and presbyterianUSA.We have devotional time twice a day. I am always amazed at the creativity we all possess. Though the "elder grandmothers" feel the need to preach a little,we parents strive to keep it contemporary. My favorite is usually done by my cousin's wife. Last year she fed us a snack of coke in a bottle with peanuts in it and we sat outside and chilled out the way we should with God. I made a labyrinth of birdseed outside to show how there is one way in and one way out..that it was a clear path, though it has twists and turns. I loved watching the little ones tiptoe through it during the week.
We go bowling,converge on our favorite chinese restaurant,have a group picture in t-shirts at some local picturesque location and our most indulgent cousin takes them to rent movies and videogames and nail polish and make-up.Make no mistake, my aunt ALWAYS reminds us adults that this is the kids week, they get whatever they want, whenever they want. If it's five bowls of ice cream,they get it.
I guess our favorite thing, the one that makes us laugh the most, is the badminton tournament. It's set up behind the pool, so you can float and watch the action. Mixed doubles and singles winners get trophies as does best dressed on court.We added best sportsmanship this year.The most intense match is ALWAYS between first cousin adult Bill and second cousin twins Matt and Andy, fiercest of competitive athletes(and 11 years old).
Our family loves to laugh and we do a lot of it during the week.And now that the kids are older, WE get the naptime..HA!
Everyone chips in on kp duty. One night is taco night, another pie night(that's a long story),another pizza night. We snack all day on produce from the farmer's market as well as different things we each make to share with each other.
The catalysts that keep it running are my aunt and cousin. They spend all year planning and stockpiling and praying it will be a wonderful week. The prayers work because it always is.It may sound like a form of church camp, but it's really not. We are trying to plant our faith for our children, but just as important for me is that it gives my "only child" child siblings for his life, while I'm still living and when I'm gone. It's a great comfort to know that strength of family relationships continues through the years whether we see each other much or not.Much bonding happens during our time together. I am grateful to my aunt for her vision and her generosity and to the richness of the tapestry of my life by knowing my family so well.

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