A family sundered!

It was my dear friend Rachael's hour of need! What could I do but go to her? (I do have to admit here that she's had at least two other hours of need during which I was sadly absent. But I am mending my ways!) Rachael's son was getting married and, thanks to Seb's flight benefits, I was in a position to hop on a flight to Edmonton and make myself useful. I brought Goldie (also on the flight benefits this year, as you may recall) to make herself useful as well.

Meanwhile…the rest of the family went to a Nielson Family reunion in Fairview at this place, Hideaway Valley Lodge. I, of course, didn't see it in person, but it looks like a cool place. Sort of four houses joined together by a big sport court/common room in the center. So when they cooked dinner, for example, they were doing it in four different kitchens and then just bringing it all out into the common room to eat. I guess it worked pretty well?

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Reunited

We had two family reunions this summer, one on the Nelson side and one on the Nielson side. It was really fun to see everyone—it had been fourteen years since our last Nelson reunion! Back then I was pregnant with Malachi, my dad was still alive, and the extended family felt so different, with lots of young children and only a few teenagers. (We had two children. Two!!) Knowing now how much life can change, I felt extra appreciative of this time to be together with my mom and my brothers and their families.

Before that, though, we had a quick one-day reunion up Hobble Creek canyon with the Nielsons, which was also really fun. We were afraid it would be unbearably hot, but it was shady there, and we were fine.

Dave took Goldie and Ziggy and Teddy down to the creek and played with them, quickly earning himself the position of favorite uncle!

Gussie found this water fountain with a pool of horrible-looking dirty water in it, and immediately began playing in said water. We pulled him away from it a few times, but every time we got distracted with other things he would return like a moth to the flame. As you see here, he has gotten some sand toys from somewhere and is commencing to pretend to EAT from them. An excellent immunity-building exercise, I'm sure.

He had become…er…slightly dirty by the end of the day. Is that a face only a mother could love? I was none too eager to hug him, I can tell you that much.

 

Sam and I were in charge of figuring out a craft that kids could do without much supervision and that the young married adults (of which there are many! More than little kids, at this stage!) and even older adults might also enjoy.

I thought of paint-by-sticker books like this one, which we sometimes take on trips, and the kids always like them. I always try to talk the kids into letting me do some of their pages because it looks so fun, so I figured some of the adults might enjoy doing it too if they were bored enough.

Sam, bless him, also came up with the idea of making sand bottles. I am very sorry to say that I did not at first believe in this idea, fearing that it would be way too complicated/messy/difficult for the kids and really, anyone. "Of course YOU would be able to make a beautiful sand bottle, but not everyone is YOU and you shouldn't assume the rest of us are capable of any such thing," I told Sam. Luckily, he persisted in his vision, and it turned out to be SO FUN. After some simple instructions, everyone was perfectly capable of putting the sand into the bottles, even the little kids. And the finished sand bottles turned out so cute!! I felt very penitent for my earlier doubts.

People came up with such good ideas. Daisy even made a penguin!

The Nelson reunion was several days long, and we didn't get to attend every activity, but we at least sent a contingent of children to almost everything! It was really fun to see cousins spending time together and getting to know each other.

The best part of this picture is David and Maddy in the background.

My three brothers. And Teddy!

My very favorite thing was on the last night when everyone came to our house. We had almost every person there (Mark and Andy were the only ones missing) and it just made me so happy to see these people I love—just eating, laughing, talking, and enjoying themselves. Abe and Seb brought home a million frozen custard "concretes" from Nielsen's Frozen Custard where they work, and we tasted all the different flavors.

We roasted marshmallows and made s'mores—

The teenagers were all having a great time playing some game or other (this was my favorite part, seeing them do this unprompted and independent of parental involvement)—

Many, many intense games of foosball were played—

And best of all, we had the most joyful, enthusiastic, LOUD hymn-singing session. I pounded out all our favorites at the volume I always WANT to play, taking requests—High on a Mountain Top, Praise to the Lord the Almighty, All Creatures of our God and King, Called to Serve, Press Forward Saints, How Firm a Foundation, Battle Hymn of the Republic, For All the Saints, Beautiful Zion, The Spirit of God. It was so wonderful! I think the whole house was ringing with the sound of our voices—I hope the neighbors could hear. My heart was just bursting with happiness to hear my children and family all together praising God in song. I don't know when I've ever felt happier or more grateful, in fact. It surprised me because I hadn't realized how much love I feel for these dear people collectively. Of course I think all the time about how grateful I am for my own children, but I suddenly felt love and connection with the nieces and nephews too, even the ones we hardly ever get to see and are just barely starting to get to know. And I felt strongly how happy my dad must be to see us all together, too. I wished he was with us. I didn't know when my mom suggested it that singing together would be exactly the right way to end our reunion, but it was!

And here we all are.

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Welcome to the Future

As I get older and amass more Life Experience, there are some things I've done before and like doing, and other things I've never done and hope never TO do. And until recently, this latter category included planning Family Reunions. But then, somewhat inexplicably, last year I felt that I ought to volunteer to plan one for Sam's side of the family. It just…seemed like one of those things where if you're going to do it, you might as well be in charge so you can tailor it to your tastes and delegate much of it out (which was much my feeling about being president of the Young Women's organization at church some years ago, come to think of it).

And, of course, I knew Sam would help and I flatter myself, based on other projects we've tackled jointly, that when we do something together it can't help but be a success! :)

So. Last year right after Christmas (which was really leaving it too late; I ought to have done it in the Fall) I scoured VRBO and airbnb for places not-too-far from here that would hold about 50 of us. (The official count is, I believe, 58. Thirty-three of whom are under the age of 18.) It was not a very large pool to choose from! But we found one that looked good, and booked it, and then the real planning could begin.

Sam and I brainstormed ideas during many, many walks around the neighborhood. We lean toward the laid-back in our vacation style, but we knew we had to have SOME kind of structure around which to hang ideas, or we'd never get anywhere. And as we get older, we have also gained appreciation for the intentional, spiritual side of family life: things that we may not have prioritized ten or fifteen years ago. :)

We kept coming back to the idea of what we wished for our own family: the ability to integrate current technology and the pace of modern life into the simple, fundamental values of faith and family that our parents and grandparents have taught us.

And then it dawned on us that it was 2015. 2015! The "Future" visited by Marty McFly and Co. in the Back to the Future movies! And so our theme became obvious. "Welcome to the Future."

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Reunion

A cattail; he loved it and carried it around everywhere

We had a nice time at our family reunion last weekend.  I didn't take many pictures, but here are a few.  The weather was beautiful and Bear Lake was really pretty (I'd never been there before).

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