Grandparents Camp Report

WE MADE IT! Seven of our 8 grandchildren were gathered at the Gatehouse by mid-afternoon on August 3. Groceries were stocked into the cupboard and 'fridge, supper was in the oven, and we were exploring our surroundings. Excitement was high. Our oldest daughter's kids came with us in the van from their home. Those four are the 15, 13, 11, and 10 year olds--actually when we picked them up they were only 15, 13, 10, and 9 years old! The 9 year old turned 10 while we were there and the 10 year old turned 11 after he got home!

Don brought the 8 & 6 year old kids up from their home and Thomas and I picked up the car seat and the 2 year old from her home on the way to the retreat house.

The Gatehouse lived up to our expectations--furnished kitchen, spacious bedrooms, but lots and lots of stairs! Up to the porch, down to the basement rooms, up to the third floor.


The first full day we walked to the playground...


...explored the edge of the woods...


...played on the playground...


and had our snack at the covered picnic area.


Later that afternoon a storm blew in! The winds blew, branches and leaves came off the trees, and our liesure on the front porch was interrupted!


The rain blowing onto the porch drove us inside where we all settled down to read and play board games.


The bonfire scheduled for Tuesday night supper was, of course, canceled AND at about 4:00 p.m. the electricity went off (and stayed off until about 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday)! So supper was by candle light--cold weiners, cold buns, chips, no French fries. For dessert we had cold marshmallows, bananas (that we were going to roast in the coals like we used to do in Switzerland), chocolate chips (that would have been melted in the slit-lengthwise-wrapped-in-foil-bananas).

With the lights out we couldn't read or play board games, so we sat together and told stories by the light of a flashlight, then went to bed early.


Wednesday we made our excursion to a State Park not far away--but it rained so we didn't get to swim. Since there was a birthday we stopped at the Dairy Queen, had ice cream together, and sang "Happy Birthday." When we got back to the house the electricity was restored and we closed the day with a hot meal.

Thursday we began to pack our bags to leave.
Don for his two...


...our oldest daughter met us half way to pick up her children

Thomas and I spent the night with Rebecca and Kevin...


...so that we could have a little time to bond with the baby.


Doesn't Gavin favor his PopPop Minton!


All in all, our time together with our grandkids, our offspring, and their spouces was blessed. But at the end of the journey we were glad to be home.