Cousin’s Camp
Growing up, we were not a “reunion-y” family. The only time I remember getting together with extended family outside of weddings and funerals was at Mt. St. Helens the summer of 1988 (If my unreliable memory serves me right. . .). I was 6. It feels like just yesterday that my dad parked the old gold boat on the side of the road so we could “check something out.” We climbed up the hillside, and there in the sea of ashes (the volcano erupted in 1980) sat a steal car skeleton. My brothers and I were fascinated! As we got closer, we noticed hundreds of little frogs swimming through the ash and covering the car-inside and out.
FUN FACT: The tailed frog population flourished as mother nature recovered from the volcanic eruption.
Aren’t they cute? Check out his little tail!
Although memories of this family gathering are limited, three other things stand out: ice cream swimming in homemade hot fudge, grape soda, and meeting a bunch of ‘old peopled’ (AKA my maternal grandpa’s siblings and their families).
[Squirrel moment. Boy, did I get hooked on that carbonated Dimetapp. Anybody else? No? Just me? That’s OK. LOL]
In high school, a friend introduced me to this strange phenomenon called “Cousin’s Camp.” He would travel all the way to Idaho to hang out with his cousins and grandparents for a week each summer. I personally thought it strange to drive 8 whole hours to do so.
Now, don’t assume I come from a family of hermits. Only some of us are. We did get together on occasion. The closest thing I had to Cousin’s Camp was with my cous-iend, Kim. Each year she would come to our grandma’s house for a week and then I’d go to her house for a week. We had the best time ever trapsing around grandpa’s property, collecting seed puffs from the giant oak tree, playing on the swing set he’d set up for us in the clearing of the forest, jumping through sprinklers, riding the tractor-style lawnmower up and down their long, hilly, curvy gravel driveway, writing stories, baking cookies. . .
Ahhh, the good ol’ days!
Years later, my mother-in-law began her own Kuzzin’s Kamp. Turning 6-years-old before camp began was their ticket in. Grant and Linda go above and beyond with their plans. They always have the cutest invitations, a service project, crafts, games, devotionals, and food all based upon the chosen theme for the year.
As I’ve observed, assisted, and even planned some pieces of the festivities, I’ve become increasingly excited to hold my own someday. Well, guess what, folks. That “someday” is here because my second husband is a grandfather, promoting me to BONUS GRANDMA, and our oldest grandson is 7! Which means this summer we will be holding our very first Cousin’s Camp! (Technically I’m a year late but what can I say?
Except. . .we can’t call it cousin’s camp. Our youngest daughter will be 7 on Sunday (yes, Oliver is only 6 months older than Taylor, LOL) They’re not cousins. She’s his aunt. My Plan B title was Candland Camp. But my kids aren’t Candlands, they’re Johnsons. We’ve always called our blended bunch the JC Family. So I’m thinking we will go with JC Camp.
With this event looming in our near future, my heart and mind have been reminiscing and brainstorming. The lessons I’ve learned from my first in-laws, Grant and Linda, are plentiful, but I’ve narrowed them down to 12. (These apply to both Cousins Camp and Family Reunions.)
LESSONS LEARNED
AGE: 6+
VENUE: Anywhere
THEME: Anything
TIMEFRAME: Know your limit
ACTIVITIES: Lowers stress
VARIETY: Vital
BACKUP: Appreciated
LIGHT: Limitless
SERVICE Valuable
TEAMWORK: Teaches hard work
LOVE: Priceless
BUDGET A necessary evil
Boiling these lessons down to a word or three just isn’t sufficient. Here, let me expound.
AGE: I have to admit that at first I thought it was silly the kids had to be 6 before they could participate. My kids felt so left out! Then, after a few years of attending with my kiddos (by then we had to travel 14 hours for the older kids to go) and helping out, brilliance of “making” the kids wait blew my mind. They’re old enough to be independent from mom and dad, they’re fairly good at taking turns and cleaning up after themselves and they are mature enough to appreciate the activities and lessons.
VENUE: I’m not joking when I say the location doesn’t matter. Whether you’ll be camping in your backyard for a week, staying overnight at the hotel down the street, driving to a cabin in the mountains, or having everyone meet at the Grand Canyon, where you go is irrelevant. Your family is together and unplugged from the world. THAT, my friends, is irreplaceable.
THEME: You can literally choose anything from Amigos to Zebras and the kids will be happy campers. So. . .why bother with a theme, then? Because it makes each year unique, and memorable. BONUS? It keeps the kids engaged and excited for what’s going to happen next time.
TIMEFRAME: Will your monkeys come for one sleepover, or will this be a week-long extravaganza? It’s important to take into consideration how far people have to travel to get to your activity. When my kids were young, my late husband and I had to drive 14 hours to get to his parents’ house in Eastern Idaho. We definitely appreciated that Kuzzin’s Kamp was two nights and three days. We always cushioned it with a couple days on either end to enjoy our vacation to the fullest. But the official reunion was always a designated time. Know your limits, my friends. Everyone will understand.
ACTIVITIES: If I have learned anything from having a big family and hosting events, it is this. Have PLANNED and ORGANIZED activities. Whatever you do, don’t let your get-together be a free-for-all. Of course, you want to leave room for flexibility because, as always, life happens. But do have a general idea of your agenda and purpose behind each of the pieces to your party puzzle. OK, so I shouldn’t speak for you. Chaos is not my friend. It aggravates my anxiety until I blow a fuse and completely shut down. No fun.
There are several other benefits to having a schedule and everything planned and prepared in advance is you will have more time to be present and enjoy your family! The kids are there to spend time with you and they want your body AND brain to be engaged. You’ll also have the opportunity to make sure all your bases are covered. You can’t have a Luau without leis, knowutimean?
VARIETY: As the years go by your attendance will increase. Along with it comes an entire spectrum of skill levels, learning types, love languages, personalities, interests, special needs, and even temperaments. By planning ahead and taking each camper into consideration, you will have peace of mind knowing everyone will be included. You will be able to show them in a variety of ways you love and appreciate them for who they are. Actions, after all, speak louder than words.
BACKUP: Please don’t assume because you’re a mom, teacher, rockstar business person, that you will be able to handle a dozen children for three days solo. Enlist the help of the parents that are staying because that family is from out of town (yes, this usually means their younger children will also be participating in some of the activities. I wouldn’t include them in everything, though, because that would defeat the purpose of having an age minimum.). Many hands make light labor. And have you tried herding kittens? Hand those felines a paintbrush and a maraca and you’ll be begging for reinforcements.
Another option is to invite a friend or community member to share their skills for one of the activities. For example, do you have an artsy friend that could teach the kids to paint something special? Or a neighbor that’s a miracle man and can cut out pieces of wood so you and the kids can build bird houses? This also gives the kids an opportunity to learn proper etiquette. Make them a card, bake them cookies, or create an extra masterpiece to give them in return for their services.
THE LIGHT OF CHRIST: Your theme doesn’t have to be religious to share your testimony, build the kids’ character, and teach your little sunbeams to light up the world. That’s the beauty of God’s creations and His love. It encompasses all truth. Every wholesome recreational activity you can imagine. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination.
SERVE YOUR NEIGHBOR: Not all families make doing service for the community and the needy a priority. Take this opportunity to teach your cuties to find joy in being the Savior’s hands and showing love and kindness to all of God’s children. Your project can be big or small. It can be done in an hour or an afternoon. What matters most is the kids learn they aren’t the center of the universe. It’s a big world out there! Let’s see how we can make a difference.
TEAMWORK IS DREAMWORK: It’s vital children are taught to do their best and to help out in a variety of scenarios. We want this to becomes a core value. We’ve all had that one classmate or coworker that puts in 5% of the effort and yet gets to share the grade. Humans learn through experience and by example.
LOVE IS A VERB: If you truly love someone, you will drop everything and go to the ends of the earth to help them in any way you can. Please note the emphasis. No matter your background, skill set, monetary resources, location on the globe, you can LOVE. This is not something you can buy. It’s not a limited resource. I guarantee that the more you open your heart and love those around you the more your soul will expand, thereby creating even more space for love.
In 2010, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, “In family relationships [dare I change this to ALL relationships?], love is really spelled T-I-M-E, time.” (This quote comes from his talk, Of Things That Matter Most) This gives us the opportunity to get to know each other, contribute of our time and talents, serve, and love each other. We cannot grow our relationships unless it is a priority in our lives. We make the time for what’s important.
THE B-WORD. BUDGET: Though you may have the dreams, imagination, and desire to hold a Pinterest-worthy, out of this world Cousin’s Camp, the reality is you must consult your spouse and make a budget you both agree on. Then stick to it. Perhaps this means DIY hacks will become your forte or you’ll be able to hire caterers. Every family’s situation is different, and that’s OK. I know you will find ways to share your skills, your love, and the Light of Christ in your unique way. Don’t let the bank balance spoil the fun. You’ve got this!
If you glean just one thing from this entire post, I hope you take away this: What your family really needs and wants is YOU. The rest doesn’t matter. The memories they will cherish for the rest of eternity is the irreplaceable time you will get to spend together.
Happy planning, my friends! I can’t wait to hear about your upcoming adventure.
And remember to choose light.
Love, MJ
