Camping Trip, Day Four

Saturday, May 30:

We were up by 6:30 a.m. so we could be ready by the time family arrived. Mother was under the weather with a cold that had settled in her chest, so I insisted that she should be off duty for the day and just relax outdoors in the warmth of the sunny day.

Daughter and Granddaughter, with Great-Granddaughter and Great-Grandson were the first to show up around 9:30. Sis arrived shortly after. Daughter-in-Law called to say she and Older Son would not be able to make it, because her rheumatoid arthritis had kicked up and her hands were badly swollen, and Son was suffering from a toothache. She said that Granddaughter might come with Great-Grandson. But as it turned out, no one from Son's family showed up today.

Since gnats and mosquitoes were out in force this weekend, I decided that Hubbie and I should go to the WDCS to fetch some repellant, and while we were out, we should go get another flat of strawberries. We picked up two flats...one for Sis at her request.

By lunch time, there were only eight of us to enjoy mountains of barbecue, hot dogs, potato salad, macaroni salad, and baked beans, followed by a choice of chocolate or white cupcakes and fresh strawberries with dollops of whipped topping later in the afternoon. Usually, 30 to 40 family members are in attendance, but today, several of them had to work, and others were ill.

After lunch, Daughter and Granddaughter and I took the kids to the playground, where all of us enjoyed swinging on the swings. Swinging is still a pleasant experience, even in my advanced age. When Granddaughter was very young, I remember her saying, "Grandma, I didn't know you knew how to swing!" I guess to little kids, adults seem too ancient to play.

About 2 p.m., though, Younger Son, Daughter-in-Law, and Grandson came, and we brought food out of the fridge and prepared a late lunch for them. Later, another granddaughter and four-year-old stepson arrived. Much later in the afternoon, Nephew, his wife and five children came. They were not able to stay long, because Nephew had worked all day and was tired, but they did fix plates of food to take home with them.

So ultimately, about half of the family came, and we were very glad to see them. We especially enjoyed year-old Great-Grandson, who entertained us by grinning and making funny faces, and toddling around, with his mother chasing right behind him. Of course, the newest baby is always the center of attention. Watching this Great-Grandson made me miss my other great-grandson, who was born on the same day in June last year. I had hoped to get snapshots of the two together.

By around 9 p.m., the family left for their own homes, taking with them plastic storage bags of salads. We let Snoops out of her cage, so she could run around the RV for exercise before we retired. At one point, Hubbie swept the floor and cracked the door open to sweep the dirt out. After that, we couldn't find Snoops. We looked everywhere...around the bed in the bedroom, in the shower stall, etc. But she was nowhere to be found. We feared she had scooted out the door when Hubbie cracked it. So he got the flashlight out and prepared to go out to look for her. Just then, Snoops came out from behind the couch, which had been opened out to make a bed for Mother. Apparently, she'd been hiding in the couch's storage area. And since she doesn't respond when she's called, she just came out when she got good and ready, but not before she'd given us all anxiety attacks!