Guest Blog
I would love to invite you to share a blog with the world. Send your idea or blog article to me via the email on the contact page. After proof reading, it will be added to the Guest Blog page.
COUSINS CAMP...
June 2025 by Vicky Hensley
Grandkids – I have dreamed of being a grandparent most of my life. That may be due to the fact that I had an excellent set of grandparents – Mom and Poppy. They purchased a cabin on Lake Texhoma and it was the place for us to be in the summer. I’d invite a friend to come stay for an entire month and Mom would always be thrilled to have us there. What adventures we had!
Hmmm – a place for kids to go every summer that was all fun. My grandkids needed that… Eleven years ago, I had three grandkids from two families and a cabin in the woods and a need to create a camp the kids would want to return to year after year. And I named it Cousins Camp. As more grandkids were born, they were allowed to start Cousins Camp at four.
Cousins Camp isn’t like visiting your grandma. It’s on another whole level. The loft at our cabin is all for the cousins with beds lined up like a dormitory and a living area too.
Every day a schedule of the day’s activities is posted. After breakfast, we have our meeting where we discuss what’s going on or where we are going or what we will create next. We appoint an assistant leader each day who helps me round up the kids and relay information.
Cousins Camp is about friendships, art, nature, and exploring. No toys, TV, or electronics.
- Art - I’m an artist so art is a big part of Cousins Camp. We spend several hours a day creating projects I have pre-planned.
- Nature - the cabin sits in a large forest. I dreamed of my cousins together playing outside instead of staying in with toys, TV, or electronics. And outside at the cabin has been a huge hit. Pop (my other half) built a big treehouse – now the Cousins Clubhouse – and added a tether ball and various swings.
- Exploring – Field trips are a big part of Cousins Camp. Some are to our favorite spots are Tenkiller Lake, Robbers Cave, Devil’s Den, Sequoyah’s home, or the biggest field trip yet – a day in Tahlequah studying the Cherokee Nation.
- At our Parents Day, we showcase all our art and take turns sharing with the parents our various activities. And, we started having plays or programs. This year, the Cousins practiced all week for our Talent Show.
- Cousins are encouraged to bring reading material since there is no TV at Cousins Camp.
- Toys aren’t allowed at Cousins Camp – I have confiscated a few that tried though.
- Initially, I did not allow electronics of any type. However, as the cousins have aged, I started allowing them one hour of electronics a night. Electronics, including phones, are not used other than the specified hour at night.
My daughter, Katherine, has played a large role in our camp. She is the Camp Counselor and she helps everywhere, especially in the kitchen. There wouldn’t be a Cousins Camp without her. We have now had nine annual Cousins Camp. We took two years off camp during Covid. The camp lasts a week with Parents Day on Saturday.
Cousins Camp has been a tremendous hit with the Cousins. I thought with age, the desire for the camp might fade but, just as with my grandparents’ lake cabin, they long to return to this very special place. In fact, our oldest campers who will be 15 and 14 next year say emphatically that they want Cousins Camp to continue. Yay!
Now to hear what the campers had to say about Cousins Camp:
AR 10 years old “My favorite thing that we did was when we went to Robber’s Cave, we went the paddle-boating. It was fun to ride and awesome to be in the middle of the lake.”
Aaron also drew us a picture of that lake adventure.
CS 11 years old “The art.”
Charis always produces the most art and spends her free time creating.
AnR 13 years old “By far, my favourite thing has been probably going out to the treehouse and enjoying nature. I also like going to the trampoline part and doing the dodgeball thing that they have there.”
Note: deliberate British spelling of favourite. Andrew is into all things British.
SS 14 years old “My favorite thing has been eating with my family and going on field trips.”
Sky represents the spirit of our camp – always smiling, helping, and dancing around.
ZS No comment from Zane, our oldest, as he wasn’t at camp this year. He is into all things music and he entertained us when he arrived Friday night.
Let it go...
In my walk to healing, I have realized that, in order to heal I have had to face a lot of realities. I had to put down the rose-colored glasses and look at life as it was. Harsh as it may have seemed, I needed to do this. I needed to come to grips with the fact that, people don't always feel the same about you as you feel about them. Excepting the fact that they probably never will...well, that was really a hard pill to swallow. That pill nearly choked me. Coming to grips with the fact that someone you loved and looked up to, someone that was supposed to care for your needs, as well as teach you...never looked at you the same way was very hard. Once it was down, and my eyes cleared, I realized some of the weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Letting go of what I could not change, relieved some of the burden that had been weighing me down. From that point on, I vowed to myself, that "if it didn't make me happy, or benefit me for the better...I was letting go. Those first couple of steps are a bit uncomfortable. After that, you'll feel the urge to run!! It's absolutely freeing letting go of those things you cannot change. Letting go of the burdens that clutter your mind and rob you of your peace. Let go...do yourself some good....just let go and be free. ~Just1Person
BELIEVE IN YOURSELF & YOUR INTENTION
Everyone needs to believe in something, believing in yourself is great place to start…
People often say that people do the best that they can with the knowledge they have at the time. Naturally, that means that we are all starting from a different vantage point. I became a mother at a very young age. Some might say that I was a child raising children, but becoming a mother is the most amazing thing that has every happened to me. I phrase the event as though it “happened to me” because I did not have the mindset to take charge of the direction of my life. However, as my children grew, I knew I wanted to provide direction to them.
To be a guide to someone else, you must first find your own sense of direction…
Where I was at the moment was less important than where I wanted to be. My father once told me that when I decide I want to do something no excuse would be great enough to stop me. Because I did not know how to focus my energy, I would often make a series of decisions that independently aligned with my mindset at the respective time. However collectively overtime these decisions led me away from my intention. To overcome this phenomenon, I determined what my core goals were and each time I made a decision I determined if the decision was assisting me on my path or distracting me from my intention.
We all face challenges; it is how you rise to the occasion that defines you…
If you are looking for an excuse there will always be one. If you tell yourself something is too hard, it will be. But if you believe in yourself and your intention, you can achieve anything you focus your energy on. Now my children are all grown with children of their own. They are providing their children with direction and the mindset to focus their energy on their intention just as my parents provided me. I was a teenage mother, now I am a sophisticated, independent women with a beautiful family and I believe in myself and my intention. ~H
Can't Do vs Can Do
My husband and I where driving our grandson to one of his appointments, when we came across a sign that read “Choose Life”. Now, my first thought was not of the tiny unborn babies we often think of. My mind went right to those, who don’t choose life. Those of us who get so weighed down with the burdens of life, with sorrow, and loss. Bogged down with what we “can’t do”, instead of what we can do. Those who feel so alone and lost they think no one else will ever understand. Ya know what, they’re probably right. No one will ever understand exactly how they feel, because no two people are ever going to experience something the exact same way. I can tell you, that there is always someone out there, somewhere, that is willing to listen, although they may not be able to fix it, they are willing to listen. That in itself, can lift a huge weight off your shoulders. It can clear up your vision, and break down the walls you’ve put up to protect yourself. I’ve had a pair of those shoes on myself, maybe not the same as yours, possibly a different color. Thankfully, someone recognized those shoes, and reached out to me. The important thing is that I let them. Now, I have a nice clean pair of shoes that fit me so very well. What I’m saying is this, if someone offers to take you shoe shopping…..go. May take a few trips, but, you’ll find the right pair I promise. ~Just1Person