Cousin Camp 2024

I should have named this year’s Cousin Camp a Roundup!  The Farmer and I drove all over the state of Kansas to get a few minutes with some of the grandkids.  All but two of the grands are 14 and older.  One is now an adult, graduated from college and has a full time adult job.  One was on a mission trip with Teens for Christ in Mexico, some have summer jobs and internships, and two have driver’s education (look out world, here they come!)!  I’m not sure how this could have happened as the Farmer and I are still so young. 

Luke is ten and Addie is eight.  They were our only fulltime campers.  We ran into three more in Kansas City when we picked Luke and Addie up for the trip to the farm.  We met with three more for an afternoon of Miniature Golf and food at Old Chicago in Hays one day. And we briefly saw the one heading to Mexico.  The ones in Texas were the only ones totally missing.  We sure did miss these three precious grandkids.  Grandpa and I had seen them in April while in Texas.

Luke and Addie were a delight to have for camp and we really rocked and rolled with crafts, experiments, games, scavenger hunts and other activities.  The Farmer had a wood project for them.  They made a coaster by gluing some blocks of various types of wood together.  The Farmer seems to have an abundance of wood pieces.  This required some clamps.  (The Farmer has a wide variety of clamps but each coaster required three or four each.  This led to dialogue with his bride of the great need he has for more clamps!) It’s not the first time this bride has heard this plea.  They had to sand and sand some more, glue cork on the bottom and apply a finish. 

Some old favorites of driving the mower tractor pulling the wagon with your sibling in the wagon was another highlight.  We tie dyed shirts, knapsacks, socks and a headband.  They turned out really well.  We made owls out of a jean leg. (The Farmer had a pair that were pretty holey.) They did some stained glass painting on rocks and acrylic pour painting.  (Grandma told them to remind her to NEVER do that project again!  So now of course they can’t wait to do it again!)  I was pretty sure my blow dryer did not survive this craft but it is still working.

Of course we had to go to the Old Fashioned Soda Fountain in town for our usual treat.  Luke ate an entire Cookie Monster Concoction and Addie ate a double scoop Strawberry Sundae.  The Farmer had a single scoop strawberry Sundae also.  Grandma declined a delicious treat.  Luke decided that perhaps he had quite an over load of sugar from the Cookie Monster delight.  We roasted hot dogs and made s’mores that evening but Luke was not hungry. 

On Friday we took the two back to their home in Kansas City.  The Farmer and The Bride were tired but two at camp are a lot easier than twelve.  We sure did miss all of the rest but were delighted that we were able roundup a few for short moments.