On the Road Again~Family Reunion 2011

On the road again....

We had been so busy getting ready for the family reunion and getting the house and yard ready for the wedding reception held here in our absence, that we were pretty wiped out from the get-go. But you know how it is once you get on the road, the work is behind you and you have a new spurt of energy and we were excited all over again.

It had been a few years since we had driven to Utah and we had forgotten how long and boring the drive is and how big Nevada is. Yikes! It is a bit like childbirth, you forget the labor after it is over but, when you get started again on your next birth you get that old familiar feeling~painful.

The first part isn't too bad, the Sierras are beautiful any time of year and this trip we got the added pleasure of viewing all the seasons at one time. We love the beautiful trees as you approach the state line and also the gorgeous mountaintops nearing the summit. So took a few photos to begin our journey.

We had never seen snow in June before in this abundance. Just a few days before we left the pass was closed to traffic due to a snow storm. Seriously? Once into Nevada the visual show is over. You see some variation of this for the next 8 hours. Ugh!

But the road wasn't particularly crowded and the sky was blue and the desert more green than usual. The carrot we kept dangling before our eyes was seeing the family sooner with every passing mile. And it did give us lots of time to discuss how we wanted the family reunion to go, somethings we wanted to share with the kids as a group, etc.

The funniest thing about the drive was we felt like it was taking forever. It usually takes about 12 hours but this time it was over 13? We were beginning to think that Salt Lake City had moved to Idaho or something??

But finally we arrived, safe and sound and tired at Jen and Lowell's. It was great to see them again and like we had never left, except that they had a brand new beautiful kitchen after many weeks of hard labor. Like the drive, most things that require work turn out pretty well if we just stick to it. Piper graciously let us bunk down in her bedroom again, what a great kid! Ah, it was great to have our heads hit the pillow that night. We needed all the energy and strength we could muster for the next couple of days when we shopped and cooked for the reunion.

Laura had thankfully made the menu that was Spencer friendly in the allergy department and the grocery list. That saved us plenty of time. But still Missy, Jen and I were gone for several hours getting everything we needed to feed 19 people for the better part of four days. I have never read so many food labels in my life. To avoid any soy and peanut contamination is a major chore. Count your blessings if you do not have life threatening allergies to food.

Jim's mom flew in to SLC on Saturday for the short time of the reunion. We had just about everything done by the time she arrived. Laura and Robert and the boys arrived that same night and stayed with Robert's parents overnight. We were going to church the next morning and then heading to Sundance and the big house. Everyone was pretty excited! Chris and Missy and their family had duties at their own ward so we were going to meet them at the big house in the afternoon.

Eagerly waiting for Laura and Robert and the boys.

We like to wait outside and charge
the car when people arrive!

Here they come up the court!
Molly is the first one to step out and welcome them!

Finally the long lost Auntie, Uncle and boy cousins arrived!

It was a grand reunion for us all.

Auntie Lou Lou had never met Hazie.
It was a long, long wait for them both!
Uncle Robert had passed through on Navy business
a few years ago to see her for a little bit
but it was the first time for Spencer and Ross
to meet her too.

Love at first sight!

It was amazing to see our oldest grandchild and
youngest child standing side by side...
Piper almost all grown up now.
Sunrise, Sunset swiftly go the days...!

Great Grandma and some of the kiddos.

We made Chicken Caesar Salad for lunch after church and then everyone was ready to go to the big house and wait for Chris and Missy, Connor, Aynslee, Zachary, and Owen to arrive. Fortunately, the resort house was only 30 minutes from home so it was a nice short drive to our destination.