OtterPops: Family Reunions

We started out the summer with Jared's Family Reunion up at Heber Valley Campground. It was a blast! This is an amazing camp which, most of the time, is a girl's camp designated for church use but they open up a few weekends for families to use the facilities (at a price). They have challenge courses, a lake and all the activities, etc. staffed. We had a few cabins for the whole family so about 20 people per cabin, a pavilion for just our family with fridges and storage and bathrooms. Jared had a bunch of work due so he only made it to the last half of the reunion, but the kids did remarkably well. Jocelyn threw up the first night (when Jared was not there as backup) due to over consumption of candy, etc. but seemed fine by the next morning. The kids were amazing on the challenge course climbing up a net wall and going down the zip line. Jonas was the youngest one to complete the course in the extended family! We also had a ton of fun canoeing on the lake and joining all the canoes together in a snake-like fashion while singing a chanting song. It was so cool for the kids to be a part of something big! We had good food, a dance camp -learning a hip hop routine, a line dance and a swing dance then performing them all together.

Cuddling with Grandpa in the cabin before bed

Waiting for the challenge course

Jocelyn on the challenge course

On the canoes

Dance Camp

Lillian on the challenge course

Jonas ready for the challenge course

Later that month we went to my family reunion at Bear Lake. This family reunion is for my mom's side of the family and I grew up going to the same campground with all my cousins, etc. It has been years since we've been able to make it there and, thanks to the generosity of our friends who loaned us their trailer, we camped in style! We felt spoiled taking their 26 foot trailer with all the extras. We even slept all night (with the exception of Jocelyn throwing up from too much junk) and had room for Kelsey to sleep in their with us. My favorite part was catching up with my cousins that I do not get to see very often and to see our kids play together. S'mores, sunburns, card games, and sand made it feel complete!! Emily and her boys were even able to come up one morning for a bit so it made it even more exciting for my kiddos to have their own cousins there.

Kids with Titus cousins on the beach

Me and my cousin monika

Card games!

Lilly had so much fun with this mini kayak

Emma and Marcus on the Beach

We were able to host Nate and Tausha at our new house last weekend and it was so fun to be able to let the kids play and celebrate Nate's graduation by going out to leatherby's. It is an ice cream parlor-we used to go to one in the same chain in CA growing up and Nate and I were saying how it was always so magical when we were little. They happen to have one right here in Draper and our kids were equally pleased! Emma could not believe her great fortune. She told Jared "Thanks Dad for all the ice cream! I don't even need it all!"

Emma and cosette taking a rest after running in sprinklers

Jonas and Rin running through sprinklers

The whole crew at Leatherby's

The older girls with their ice cream sundae

The younger two with their clown ice cream

Another type of "family reunion" was that Jared and I were able to get a neighbor to babysit for us while we went to the Draper temple one Saturday morning. Only 5 minutes away AND we had family names since we live close to Jared's aunt who is so good at staying on top of family history! A beautiful morning all in all

Draper Temple SOOO close to our house

We are feeling grateful to be close to family to trade off babysitting and have cousin fun. We even got to meet a new cousin right in the hospital-Rachel and Jason had baby #3 and of course I cried holding such a sweet new baby! We were able to participate in the Carter Twin's baptism and help the Lillywhites by watching their kids when they were moving.