cousins camp

I know you have seen this shirt more than once on this blog.  It's a favorite around here.

So here's the story behind the shirt.

I am one of three sisters, and among us we have nine cool kids.  Kids that are smart and funny and talented and full of personality.  And when these nine cousins get together you can count on there being fun and creativity and laughter and a good dose of chaos -- as any good cousin gathering should create.

So every summer my sisters and I plan something truly special for them.  We pick several days that are devoted to the cousins and together we explore and create and adventure and learn.

We call it Cousins Camp.

Complete with camp songs.  Camp shirts.  Camp grub.  Camp crafts. And, even once, a camp out.

Each summer is a bit different, and we've enjoyed a variety of adventures since we began this family tradition four years ago:  riding bikes at scooter town, playing at playgrounds, swimming, hiking, touring a popcorn factory, scavenger hunts, playing water Olympics, visiting the local zoo, eating ice cream, tie-dying t-shirts, visiting a screen printer to add words to those shirts, fishing, creating keepsakes, pitching tents, and singing around a campfire.

Last week we had our first Cousins Camp of this summer.  And the rain didn't dampen the fun one bit.

We painted garden sticks, inspired by this post.

We hiked.

We played.

We sang songs to pass the time as we waited for the rain to slow.

And we enjoyed every wonderful minute of our day together.

What summer traditions do you enjoy?