A dedicated grandma ran a week-long summer camp for her 11 grandchildren at her four-bed home in Kingsland, Georgia with a daily meal menu, activity schedule and homemade trophies. 68 year old 'Narnie' Shyrel Mack has four daughters and takes looking after her grandchildren - aged between seven months and 18 years - very seriously. Because the kids live hours apart and only see each other a few times a year she hosts a 'camp' at her home to bring them all together.
'Camp Narnie 2023' saw them enjoy a busy schedule of outdoor sports and games, crafts and challenges. Daughter Vycki said Shyrel has always been good at coming up with fun activities - and would run their local church summer camps when she was young. "She always does things like this - I think she really enjoys it. Not just summer camps - graduations, birthdays, church camps. She runs ideas by us and we have to ask 'mom, are you sure you want to do all that?' but she always does it.
Vycki's oldest sister Shamya brought her three children, aged 17, 15 and 12. Sister India Whitehorn, 38, brought her eight-year-old and other sister Ina Patterson, 38, brought her five children aged 18, 12, nine, six and seven months. They stayed for a week last month. Narnie catered to the cousins' every need. Vycki said: "Its actually not a big house but we make it work - the kids love to sleep on the floor! "I didn’t even know she made schedules till I came to pick them up. "She came up with the trophies on the spot, she made the labels on the computer. "She loves doing things like that, she is always running ideas by us." After sharing videos of 'Camp Narnie' online, Vycki said hundreds of people were amazed at Shyrel's effort. Vycki added: "We always knew she was special, but I didn’t realise how many people go without that - until I start reading the comments. "It was heartwarming, because that’s just my mum - it's not a show she put on just for a week. "My mum has always been the family's backbone - she keeps us on our toes and keeps our heads held high."
Photo: Courtesy of Vycki Gaines / SWNS