Granny Grandson Camp

Back row Justin Cannon, Jade Cluff, Granny, Logan Cluff
Front row Jaxon Bradshaw, Morgan Irvine, Bradley Irvine

Yes, you read it right.  I take my boys camping every summer.  My younger ones, Colby (5), Cove (1 ½), and baby River were not invited for safety reasons and Granny's sanity.   This year was a lot of fun because the weather was perfect.  Last year we battled rain almost the whole weekend.  The tradition has always been campfire stories by Granny and then lots of war with air guns.  We have made a four- wheel trail where the wars are played out.  This year, however, Jade and Justin the oldest two, decided they were too old and cool for such juvenile games.  After holding out for an hour or two, soon they had to get in on it.  Then it was the two oldest against everyone else.  Everyone had a fun time including me.  I bedded them down in the front of our RV.  We have two good mattresses and lots of foam pads.  I had them draw straws on who got to choose first.  We did smores, but they were ready to hit the bedrolls right after, so my campfire stories were shared while they were in bed and ready for lights out.  I absolutely love my grand boys…I guess I better start saying young men.  All who attended have the priesthood except Jaxon who is ten.  Jade and Justin are DRIVING!


I am including pictures from an Arizona hunt Grandpa took some of the older boys on.  Grandpa has a soft spot for hunting requests from his grand boys.  I told him I think to his grandsons the word Grandpa means “Man with checkbook and drivers license.”

An event at Sportsman Warehouse had some drawings for prizes.  Justin asked his grandpa if he put gramp’s name in and he won, if Justin could have the binoculars.

Grandpa had a work project going on during Granny Camp.  Trimming  trees.

Walt got a call that he won and true to his gramp’s word, Justin got the binoculars.  Sportsman took a picture of Walt with them and it turned out to be a great picture.  The boys were trying to figure out what was so great about it and then it dawned on them.  He did not have a plaid cowboy shirt on…he had a stripped tee!  Wow, and to think that fact was documented with a picture!

Trapped with Six Young Men

Okay, this is not what I bargained for.....rain, mud, and six of my grandsons trapped inside the  RV.  I guess the first omen of the weekend was when, after borrowing Sheena's larger SUV, (mine only holds 5) , packing the over head and back, I loaded in the boys, and the car would not start.  All the men were gone, we tried to get it going, decided it needed a new battery.   Cori volunteered her car that holds 8, so we repacked everything into that car, and finally got on our way about two hours later than planned.  Once on the mountain it began to rain periodically.  The rain would break  for about an hour and they are outside playing war with their soft guns.  The rain would start, and they are right back in caked with mud and soaked.  The first night we were able to do smores around the campfire, they next night the wood was so wet...forget a fire of any kind.    I brought a few "guy" movies, Sandlot, Rocky, Rocky II, The Rookie, but that was my alternate activity.  I could have taken them all home the first  morning, but they were so disappointed, I just couldn't.  They promised they would help me and be excellent young men and they were.  I didn't hear one fight or major disagreement.  They were helpful and polite.  Justin, 15 yrs and Jade 14 yrs, treated Logan 13,  Brad 12 , Morgan 11, and Jaxon with patience.  Considering the large age difference, I was amazed how well they all treated one another.  Even with the wounds of Jaxon's eye ball getting wacked with a roasting stick, a soft bullet bruise on the cheek, and a large knife cut on Logan's little finger, they still were determined to have a good time.   My plan for this weekend was to share some granny-love and testimony of the power of the Priesthood.  Besides the fun, I had planned on a few stories about honoring the priesthood during WWII told around the campfire the first night and discussing the Sons of Helaman, then next night putting out a huge quilt in a open area, a circle with our heads and while looking at the stars, I was going to share some great pioneer stories of the priesthood in action while crossing the plains.  Then Sunday morning I would take them all to Alton ward, the little country church about 10 miles from our campsite.  Plans turned to reality when our three days were spent watching some movies, waiting for the rain to break, then running outside for a few hours of activity, then back in the RV caked in mud, soaked, changing clothes, eating junk food, and then repeat.  By Sunday there were no clean clothes and I was afraid I would not be able to get out of camp due to the mud.  I had a brief "fireside" inside the RV, Jade gave the opening prayer, and by the time I had finished one WWII story, the thunder was cracking.  I closed with my testimony and said, "Hurry, let's get out of here while we can." I never leave the Rv dirty.  Leaving filthy floors, dirty dishes, we literally were throwing packs, quilts, muddy boots, and guns into the back of the car.  I was so worried about damage to Cori's car if I had to go through mud and deep ruts.  Our roads are not maintained and are definitely for trucks, and when wet, can be very bad.  We had gone about a mile and just before we got to the gate to get on the highway,  rain started coming down so fast the windshield wipers could not keep it off.  We had got out just in time.  It made for some excitement for my young current and future priesthood holders.  I don't know if my plans were a complete failure.  On the way home, they were talking about when they could come to the mountain again.  One of the boys said, "Well, I want Grandma to be there when I go again."  That was all I needed to know.  It was all worth it, even with the mud and the rain.

Number 16 Joins Cluff Clan

Cove made eye contact with Grandpa as if to say, "Yea, I know this old guy!"

Blessed Little Boy with Two Wondeful Parents

Proud Daddy

Katy Alene and Curtis Lee blessed us with our sixteenth grandchild.  Way before his due date, I gave my "Special Time Speech".  I have shared it with every pregnant daughter.  It goes something like this.  "This is a special time for you and your husband.  It will not hurt my feelings if I am not there.  Just let me know when you go in and call when you want us to come."  They have wanted me present at the birth of every one of my daughter's births.  It has been faith promoting and very humbling.  Walt laughs and teases about this fact, because he has said about my births, that he and the doctor were lucky to be there.  He likes to remind me of the time when the doctor did not have anything else to do, so he sat by my bed and read a newspaper.  I asked him to leave until it was time to check me again.  Then there was the time a janitor was mopping the floor near my room and I asked Walt to run him off.  I do not like to be around people when I am in pain.  I like to find a personal cave somewhere all by myself.  Times have changed.  Katy was dialated to a nine for over 2 hrs.  TWO HOURS.  The doctor left to do a c-section.  Little Cove came out looking like his head had been in a pencil sharpener.  That would have never happened in old days.  Doctors stuck around to finish the job.  Perhaps it was due to the screaming or the husband pleading to end the pain of his wife's embedded fingernails in his hand.  I am thankful that it is easier getting babies into the world now days.  I would not wish my birthing experience on my worst enemy.  Cove Jon Lee is and will be a delight to this baby hungry Cluff Clan.

Grandpa & Granny Penny are soooooo happy

Sleepovers

Of course, any loving married adult over the age of 60 knows that God's greatest gift is GRANDCHILDREN.  There is a very marked discrepancy at this point, however.  I think mine are the best, the smartest, the cutest, the most polite, and the most loving.  I have a sleepover before they all go back to school.  The boys always choose the mountain, so I load up my SUV as full as I can with boys, air guns, bows, arrows, and many other boy toys.  This year I had to arrange for a couple of them to go up in another vehicle.  Walt said I am going to have to get a school bus before I am through with this tradition.  They had a great time, but Brad said he had really been cheated this year.  We did not go until August and I usually take them late June or July.  I spent July with my sister Robin, so it threw me off schedule and this grandson let me know about it.  They love it.

The girls are all too prissy to want the mountain experience.  This year they chose to sleep at our house, picked out a movie, and opted to dine out instead of roast over the camp fire.  They had a great time.  Tori (Victoria) is in Young Women now and she is the oldest.  I was impressed with how patient she was with the younger ones.  Lesley, after everyone  voted on where to eat, quietly asked me if it was too expensive and that they could select one that is cheaper.  They decided to watch Sound of Music.  They had so much fun playing that the movie was put off until 8:30, which made for only Taiha and Tori making it to the half way point.   At 1:30 p.m.  Josie woke all of them to go down stairs to the bathroom.  She was too scared to go alone.  They all trailed down, so she would not be afraid.  I think when I was that age I would have yelled "Go yourself you little coward" and went back to sleep.    (9-27 post script:  I have since been corrected.  Perhaps they all woke up each other and one of them had to go to the bathroom.  As I said previously, when I was that age, I would have not been as sweet as all these girls were to each other.  I would have rolled over and said something not very nice and definitely went back to sleep.  I am so pleased with the kindness they all show to one another.)

Josie Ann Got the "Cleaning Machine" Gene

Josie went to the mountain with her Dad during Labor Day weekend and did not want to return with her brother and mother, so she hung out with me for a few days.  I taught her to ride the 4 wheeler.  She would drive at 3 miles per hour, while I got my walk.  Walt and I came down from the mountain to attend a funeral and then went back a few hours later.  I explained when Josie wanted to stay that she would be alone at the camper while we were gone.    Josie said she could stay alone, so her mom left her.  We returned from the funeral and Josie had completely scrubbed clean the 5th wheel trailer.  I think she might suffer her Granny's trait of having to make use of energy caused from worry or anxiety.  She had even beat the rugs.  She even got down on her hands and knees using the scrub side of a sponge to clean the kitchen floor.  Those spots had been there all summer.  What an dedication and focus!  It probably took her a long time on one little ugly spot.   I was impressed.  Walt always knows when I am upset over something because I become a cleaning machine...cupboards, floors, drawers, closets.  The louder the cleaning noise the better I feel!  Regardless, I think of all my "interesting" ways to handle times of anxiety would be the one to pass on to my posterity.  Being a cleaning machine for a few hours is better than getting into words with someone, filling a kleenex with tears, tearing someone's head off for no some unknown reason, or watching a clock tick by until I feel better.  Yup,  utilizing the cleaning -machine- gene works almost every time at least for me and Josie Ann.