Family Reunion Fun With a Purpose #4

The Hikers

All of the activities that were planned had one main purpose. Family fun and togetherness. We wanted everyone to have time to do the things they enjoy with everyone else. Sometimes in our busy lives we just run too fast to stop and smell the roses. That was what this reunion was all about. Just stopping the clock, enjoying the hours and minutes of each day as a family.

We wanted the time to be spent doing old-fashioned, enjoyable things without it costing a small fortune, being overly dependent on electronics, or having to get in the car and go somewhere.

The natural out cropping of this resulted in the big media room being unused for TV or movies. This was neat as we never told the kids they couldn't, they just didn't because they were too busy with other things. That required them to be proactively engaged in something creative, active and imaginative. And we gave them plenty of time to entertain themselves.

Spencer and Connor
Strengthening their friendship!

Each morning Grampa had a short walk planned. Most of the time they had returned to the house within an hour. It was just enough to give them some fresh air, exercise and time to enjoy the great outdoors in such a beautiful place.

You can see from this photo how close we
were too the big mountains and how
much snow was still up there.

Uncle Chris was taking the photos
as everyone walked along the lane.

Gramma's Heart Warmers!

Taming the wild Indians with Hot
Tubbing was a part of every day too.

Time for one on one together~
Connor and Grandma Gloria

Hide and Go Seek~
The big house was perfect for this.
And yet they all crammed into this closet!

Look who Uncle Chris found in there!!

Grandma Gloria and Aynslee

The moms relaxing with the birthday banner craft!

Still lots of embellishing and
glittering to do on my banner.

Ayns and Jewels
The kids decorated their time capsules.
Just plastic shakers for them to put their little
reunion treasures in to take home.

Owie chattin' it up with
Gramma in the shoe room.
He's telling me how he really doesn't like
most foods but he'll try them when he is older.

A little relaxation and fun at the
Pool Table for Lowell.

Chloe's Apron for her Daddy!

Aunt Jen had the kids covered. The littler kids did hand print aprons for the Dads and Grandpa to wear while they do their grilling outside. The bigger kids made Duct Tape wallets for them! They landed up making some for themselves too. And of course she helped us moms too.

Jen is amazing in the crafting department, very artistic and just flows with this kind of stuff. Missy and Laura ...the same. Not me...but I did it and it was fun making the banners. The best part was just sitting around gabbing and it was reminiscent of an old-fashioned quilting circle (with glitter of course.)

Piper with her finished product!
Her Dad's Duct Tape Wallet

The boys working on theirs.

Just on the other side of the railing on the deck...
you could climb the bolder retaining wall
if you got a little restless.
Spencer enjoying the climbing wall here.

Lowell and Chris working on their movie.
No idea what they were doing on a ladder
with a hair dryer until the following night
when it all came to light.

Time for a little computing with our master
software engineer tutoring the kids at something.

There was time for reading and relaxing

Time by yourself and napping too.

And lots of time for snuggling too.
And all this before dinner
and our big family birthday party that night.

Life is good on a family reunion!