Preparations

Before I had grandchildren I dreamed of the fun of having all of our future grandchildren over at one time for a week of "grandfolks camp". As usual, time passed quickly and now we have 19 grandchildren. But we've never had a grandfolks camp. Until now. My daughter-in-law Jessica has pressed me to do the camp. She is full of good ideas. So we invited all who could come to meet us here in Colorado, where we would entertain the grandchildren for 5 days. 7 of the kids can come.

We have spent this past week planning for them. Layne, once engaged, is full of good ideas. He has eliminated or refined most of my ideas and added some great ones of his own. And so, this week, we have a menu just for kids; days filled with activities, and nights with family stories and scripture stories. Since we've never done this before I'm a little nervous. Will the kids have fun? Will we build the bond with them that I hope for? Will they want to do this again? Will our plans work well?

Son Ben and wife Jessica (the one with the ideas) arrived last night. Their children are playing in the kiddy pool Layne put up for them. I am watching them from my comfortable chair on the deck. It is a lovely, hot Colorado summer day. The pool sits under a shade tree so it is a comfortable place to be. Layne and I sit idly now as the kids play before us. It is a happy spot we are in. Here are Jacqueline and Alexis sitting on a rock in Mom's back yard.

I am an idea person. I dream of many things in my mind. I begin some of them. My problem is that I finish very little. As I work on one project I think of another. And so it happens that I begin much and finish little. Inefficiency is a quality of creativity, it seems to me. I need to better divide my time between creativity and organization. I'd like to discipline myself to do more finishing. But not this week. This week belongs to 7 adorable kids. And Mama too, of course.