Cousins Camp, 2012 Session C

Last week Nonna and Poppa invited Strider and Ellie for the final Cousins Camp session of the season, and, man, was it a hit!  I have not seen Strider so excited about something in a very long time.  He was talking  at a very fast rate during our phone call and when he arrived home.  I waited a few days to finally write this post, to let his voice come back down an octave or so.  :)

Here is the conversation about it with a more mellowed Strider:

Me:  So tell me 3 unique things about this year's Cousins Camp.
Strider:  Alright, let's see.  1.)  Whitewater Rafting Center, 2.) McDonald's Smoothies, and 3.) Uncle John visiting.

Me: What about the other thing you were so excited about that you called me about the first night?
Strider:  I don't know -- weren't you listening?
Me:  If I recall correctly, you were going on and on about your new shoes.
Strider:  Oh yeah, they're really cool.

Me:  So what was the deal with the Whitewater Rafting Center?
Strider:  It was a great deal!  We got to do 4 high-ropes courses, flat-water kayaking, a zip line, and rock-climbing.
Me: Wow -- that's a lot for one day!
Strider:  Yeah, it was.  (Thank you, Nonna and Poppa for taking me!)
Me:  Which part was the most challenging for you?
Strider:  Probably one of the ropes courses, called the Canyon Crossing, because you're about 60 feet above the ground and walking on pivoted 2-by-4 and it's swinging.
Me:  Yeah, you couldn't pay me to do that.

Me:  What else did you do?
Strider:  Mini-golf, swimming in the lake (with Gracie the dog, and without) and flipping off the dock, going to restaurants, and grocery shopping.  This is the only time of year I can go to the grocery store and pick out anything I want.

Me:  Ok, tell me more about the food -- which is always a highlight of Cousins Camp it seems.
Strider:  We averaged about 3 desserts a day and NO vegetables.  Just kidding.  But it's not too far from kidding.  We went to a restaurant that had 30 different kinds of pop and 100 kinds of beer, which I was really excited about.

Me:  Did you and Ellie sing the ol' Cousins Camp song at all this time?
Strider:  Welll.... no, just say, "no."  We've grown out of that.
Me:  Did you really?
Strider:  Not really.

Me:  Any last thoughts you'd like to add about your experience?
Strider:  Yeah, Nonna and Poppa, can you please take me to the beach with you this weekend?  Pleeeease?

Me:  And I have some thoughts I'd like to add, too!  I think it's high time MY generation got invited to Cousins Camp.  We miss out on all the fun!  Now that my cousin Linsey has moved to NC, we adults could actually have Cousins Camp!  I think it's time Nonna and Poppa add a Session D....
Strider:  Ok, this is getting a little tedious, Mom.

Well, on that note, I'll just post the rest of the pictures.  :)