During the summer of 2009, Jack spent the summer as a solo grandchild at Camp Grannie while Emma travelled cross country with her dad.  Their days were spent doing fantastically fun things like hiking, biking, zoo trips, feeding the ducks and doing crafts.  On afternoon, after returning to Big Meadows for a well deserved treat after a big hike that included spottings of both deer and a bear, Jack proclaimed he had never met a Grannie as Tough as his - and the new nickname "Grannie Tough" was born.  Since that time, both Emma and Jack, as well as several of their friends have returned to Camp Grannie during the summer to experience the thrills (sometimes unintentional) of fun in the great outdoors.  Popular with the young, the old and everyone in between, Jordan Berger (Camp Grannie, 2011) declared "Grannie Tough got game!"  High praise from teenagers no doubt!

Every Monday, Mom and Sarah have a date.  If it's a beautiful day, warm or cool, it involves a walk on either Storybook Trail or the Greenway in Luray.  As added incentive, some ice cream at Flotzi's or McDonalds round things out nicely.  Sometimes in the summer the kids would join this weekly outing.  Sometimes in the Fall, Katy would as well.  Keeping up with the nonstop chatter, Mom will push and Sarah will narrate and at the end is always the reward of a beautiful vista, overlooking Page County in all its scenic glory.

After my children were born, I made a firm vow that my kids would "know" their grandparents - not just for vacations or holidays but lazy days, boring days, sunny days and rainy days. At first it was difficult, living in Los Angeles, making the trek to Luray meant making it worthwhile so we'd come for a month in the summer.  After moving to Virginia in 2002, we lived with mom for a year while I house hunted and started my nursing career.  The kids had round the clock Grannie time. And when we moved to McGaheysville, the kids still got to see her pretty regularly.  Camp Grannie started when their summer playground groups went on holiday or ended (not sure why it always ended 3 weeks before school started but it did).  Working with no frills, low budget and focused on good old fashioned outdoor activities and crafts, Camp Grannie was a huge success.  In fact, Emma and Jack had friends who would beg to join them!  I think it is extraordinary that they got the opportunity to make so many lasting memories over the past decade with mom in a way that I never really had with my own grandparents.  For them, forever, she will be "Grannie Tough".