Camp Family: Where the Extra Runs Deep

Wow - what a weekend!

My family just hosted our reunion over the holiday weekend, and all I can say is: my family is EXTRA. And I say that with love… and a full heart… and probably a touch of inherited flair. Because, yes, I am that extra, too - and now I know exactly where I get it from.

Let me paint the picture. Leading up to the reunion, a committee was formed - one rep from each family. And let me tell you, they weren’t just random picks. These were the people. The planners. The doers. The ones who understood the assignment and then ran with it.

The marketer in me was living for it. They created a whole brand for the reunion. Think: camp theme, complete with logo, tagline, and color palette. There was an itinerary (of course). A custom camp swag site where you could order everything from hoodies to hats. A literal bulletin board where photos and notes from the weekend were posted like we were back at summer camp. We had games. We had arts and crafts. We had awards. And somehow, they did all this in their “free time.” Pros, I’m telling you.

But the best part? The people.

Family came in from all over - Denver, Minneapolis, Atlanta, some even road-tripping in RVs. And because everything was so thoughtfully planned, no one had to stress logistics. We just showed up, settled in, and soaked up the time together. We laughed. We caught up. We hugged a lot. And we made new memories that we’ll be talking about until the next one.

Memories like me almost falling down a hill (graceful as ever), Ben being extra dramatic about basically everything (but we love him for it), and Noah’s masterpiece of a Lorax painting that honestly belongs in a gallery. It’s the little moments like those - the ones that aren’t on the itinerary - that somehow stick the most.

This post is really just a little love letter to my family. To the ones who show up, go big, and never do anything halfway. It’s a shoutout to the committee who planned this reunion like it was their full-time job. Your effort? Your eye for detail? Noticed and deeply appreciated.

And it’s also a reminder of how powerful family can be... not just the connection, but the creativity, the hard work, the heart. That stuff? It runs deep in my blood.

Until the next time we turn a reunion into a full-blown production (t-minus two years), I'll be over here feeling grateful to be part of a family that shows up big, dreams bigger, and never forgets to laugh along the way.

With grass stains, camp swag and a full heart, -CC