It was Valerie & Wyatt's turn to plan the reunion this year and she did a fabulous job THANK YOU Penfolds! Valerie reserved the lodge at BYU-Idaho's Outdoor Learning Center near Tetonia, just a few miles from her home. We were all supposed to arrive on Wednesday afternoon December 29th. However Mother Nature had other plans. We drove up on Tuesday to avoid a storm and to spend some time with my Dad. On Wednesday we left early from my Dad's home to deliver the suspended seating for Valerie's new kitchen before we checked into the lodge, so we made it through but shortly after that they closed Hwy 33 so Randy & Melissa and their families spent the night in Teton. Scott left home late and when he got word that Hwy 33 was closed he came through Piney Pass. He got there quite late and had some pretty slick roads but made it. Thursday morning the others went that way and everyone made it by early afternoon. Even though the temperature never got above freezing we had a great time sledding (with a rope tow even) three different times.
We played lots of fun games together and didn't even mind that we had to go out in the cold to the bathroom. They were indoor and heated but we had to access them by going outside. Everyone slept in the big bedroom with bunkbeds except Scott's family had a smaller room to themselves because of new baby Viviane.
Sorry to the guy in his PJ's. I sent the little girls up to take a picture of the bedroom and this was the only one they took.
Keith & I slept in the large family room so we wouldn't keep everyone awake with our snoring and to keep the wood burning stove stoked, which was the furnace for the lodge. The FHE lesson was a little rough and didn't go over as well as we'd wanted but hopefully everyone will remember that the armor of God isn't always comfortable or convienint to wear and that the sword of the spirit will "keep us safe from sin". We had great meals, each family took turns preparing food in a huge commercial kitchen.
Valerie planned a really fun New Year's Eve Party complete with crowns and noise makers we decorated ourselves and streamers and ballons and games and bubbly to drink at 10 pm when we put the kids to bed. Hey it was midnight somewhere.
We drew in the snow with colored water, played spoons, magformers, Uno and the boys were glued to the iPod at time too.
The kids had hoola-hoop contests and we all stomped on ankle tied balloons. Seeing the kids have all this fun together makes the work that goes into these reunions a simple joy. Especially when I think about my "I want a hug from everyone who calls me grandma" after family prayer when we were ready to leave.
We love our family and are so pleased that they enjoy being together. It is sweet for us to watch the cousins learning to be friends and the adults sharing what's going on in their lives with each other. It's always kind of lonesome once we're back home but know that plans were discussed for the next reunion in the summer of 2011. Thanks to each of you for all you do make our family reunions wonderful. WE LOVE EACH OF YOU SO MUCH (but remember Heavenly Father loves each of you even more).
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