Happy Family Reunion Time

August 23, 2009

We have just had a marvelous week and a half with our whole family (except Dell, who couldn't leave work). We had such a great time. Here's what we did.

Monday, August 10th
All the Provo gang spent the day making last minute preparations: cleaning, changing sheets, grocery shopping. Paul and I even painted the bathroom over the weekend, trying to make everything as pleasant as possible! Dave, Margaret, and Baby Olin arrived in the evening. We were so happy to see them!

Tuesday, August 11th
Dave and Mark went with Mary to help her choose a new laptop. We all had fun hanging out.

In the afternoon we all went to pick up Anna, Henry, and Lizzie at the airport, and then we all went to Emily's house for dinner. I brought up two crockpots full of food, salad, and watermelon. We were so happy to be together!

Wednesday, August 12th
Emily and Margaret had to work all day, so our festivities began at 5 when we met the Lyman's at Boondocks for an evening of fun and games!



Thursday, August 13th
The Lymans drove down to Provo on Wednesday night and stayed with us until Sunday. We all fit in the house, amazingly well. As Mary said, it just seemed right. Anna and Henry slept in Mary's room; Lizzie was in the "closet/nursery" off Paul and my room. The Lymans were all in Mark's room (except for a couple of nights when Sam had a sleepover with Henry in Mary's room). Mark slept on a nice air bed in Dad's office. Dave's family was in my office/guestroom in the basement, where Margaret could work during the days. We had so much fun!
Here are the babies together. Olin is 4 months, Lizzie is almost 7 months. They weigh almost the same though!

Thursday was the day for the award presentation. We all dressed up and went to campus around 11. Mark took family photos at the botany pond--we'll send copies of those later.

Then we went up to the Wilkinson Center Ballroom for the lunch. We had two tables reserved for us all at the front. Richard came all the way from California to join us--so good of him--and of course Kay came. It was so fun to have everyone there and be able to introduce my wonderful family to my work friends.
That's my boss, Gary Hatch, giving me the award.

In the evening the children organized a fun party, inviting all the family members in the area. We had quite a crowd! They got me a cake and we had other delicious snacks. Then they passed out goblets of Martinelli's and Emily and Mary each made a toast for me. It was so good of them and I certainly felt deeply loved and appreciated.


Friday August 14th
Lagoon Day!

Sadly, Margaret had to stay home to work (and she kept Olin with her). But the rest of us drove up to Lagoon and spent a glorious day. We brought a tent and blankets to set up on the grass in the picnic area; it was so nice to have a home base to go back and rest. There was so much to do--even staying all day we couldn't do it all! The little ones rode the boats and the airplanes and the cars, while the bigger ones braved all the roller coasters. I dropped my cell phone in the water, but a Russian ride operator told me how to save it and it is just fine. We had a great picnic lunch of sandwiches (everyone made their own in the morning, so we would all have what we wanted). We went all together to the musical revue and on the Rattlesnake Rapids.

Here's a video of Lizzie dancing to the musical review.





That evening Dave and Mary performed with Divine Comedy in a benefit alumni show. It was so fun that they could perform together again and the timing worked out that Dave was in town. Paul and I went to watch on Friday night. Then on Saturday night, everyone else went while we stayed home to tend the little ones.

Saturday, August 15th
We were pretty tired. We had planned to go to the mountains, but we just never got up enough steam. We were also going to go to the ward swimming party, but that was rained out. Instead we took the kids to the Bean Museum to look at all the cool animals and then to the bookstore so the out-of-towners could get their fix of chocolate-covered gummie bears and LDS merchandise. It was just so fun to be together.


Sunday, August 16th

In the morning, Emily got us all together for a family talent show. Everyone participated and it was very fun! Henry did tricks and piano, Sam did Karate, Eden sang I am a Child of God. Emily recited a poem she wrote as a child, David did impressions involving holding a baby (baby as bazooka, etc.). What a talented family!
This is Sam doing karate.

I got my wish of having all the family in church together, all lined up on two pews. I was so proud of all our wonderful children and grandchildren and it was fun that all my church friends could meet them. Then we came home for a rather haphazard barbecue--we just threw together what we had.

We had borrowed an inflatable water-slide from the neighbors, but it had been rainy every time we tried to use it, so on this sunny afternoon we got it out and Paul and Jared and David figured out how to inflate it. The kids had so much fun with it!

We also had a pinata! All the kids whacked it, and the older ones tried hitting it javelin-style. The candy was a big hit!

Finally, we all watched old family slides (the old-fashioned kind) and laughed and laughed.

Then the Lymans had to leave. Sigh.

Monday, August 17th
We still had lots of fun with the rest of the family here.

We had a wonderful Family Home Evening planned by Anna, a dramatization of Noah and the Ark, with Henry playing all the main parts and a laundry basket as the ark!

Tuesday, August 18
We just had fun together--again!
Above is a photo of us walking to the park. May or may not have been on Tuesday.

Margaret and Mary went horseback riding in Midway--a long-time dream. They had a real cowboy guide.
Wednesday, August 19th
Leaving day! We drove Dave and Margaret to the airport in the morning. Sad to see them go, but so thankful for airplanes that make it possible to get together.

Stopped by Lymans to see them after the airport. We are so very glad they are nearby.

Anna spent the afternoon with her good friends Hannah and Jodi. Then we went to dinner at Brick Oven for a last hurrah before taking the Dunns up to the airport.

What a great reunion! Thanks to everyone who made this possible!