As summer draws to a close, it brings to mind memories of the wonderful care-free days we spent at our private family camp. Cattle grazed lazily in the pastures, a creek flowed by huge sycamore and willow trees.

The campsite itself had our grandmother’s unique touch. She probably invented the first outdoor kitchen. There was a tall, green camp cupboard to store supplies, a table for food preparation, a large picnic table, a spot in the creek for keeping perishables cold.

Our grandparents had “luxury” sleeping arrangements, a large tent erected over a wooden floor complete with cast iron bed and chest of drawers. The rest of us slept in our own tents or nestled our sleeping bags together on the ground under the stars. We didn’t seem to mind the hard ground.

Grandpa Fred Grieb with Grandkids.

The camp gathering was unique and special bringing together our grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins as many as 40-50 at once. Lots of laughter and fun. Cousins played in the creek in inner tubes or rowed back and forth in the rowboat, fished for trout, played kick-the-can or hide and seek. Adults lazed back with a good book or played cards and shared all the family news.

The great cooks, with our grandma in charge, prepared meals that were fabulous from breakfast to dinner. We feasted on homemade family recipes. Evening campfires with storytelling, roasting marshmallows and popcorn ended perfect days of togetherness.

The best part of it all was the family closeness we experienced; a feeling of belonging and being a part of something very special. What in life is better than that?

Written by Sandi Ferrio the owner the Grieb Farmhouse Inn.  Her mother was Lorna Grieb Erickson

1 John 4:7 “Beloved, let us love one another for love is of God. Every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God.”

Grandpa Fred Grieb enjoyed fishing.