This summer was our year to host the family reunion for Trevor's side of the family. We had a GREAT time! We rented a cabin in Island Park, ID so we could all stay together. It is really a pretty area.
The first day, we went to the Rexburg temple to do some family name sealings. The temple is so beautiful and it was a great experience to do temple work for some of Trevor's dad's family members.
We brought a couple "babysitters" with us, my sister Lisa and her friend Diana. They were able to watch the kids when needed--like at the temple!
After the temple, we went to Bear World. None of us had been before and the kids had a great time. Besides seeing all the bears and other animals, they have a great petting zoo. The kids really enjoyed petting the deer and other animals.
My kids were fascinated by these new baby deer. They were born the day before we got there and the kids weren't able to touch them, but they sure liked watching them.
There were also a few rides. The kids were able to run around and go on rides by themselves for the most part. They were very sad when we had to leave.
We drove back to Island Park and then part of us headed to West Yellowstone to go to a play at the Playmill Theatre. I thought the play might be too "old" for our kids, but they ended up loving it. We saw "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" and it was a really cute production.
The next morning, part of our group went golfing. The rest of us had some fun around the cabin. We painted faces and nails and went for a walk. Brenda also brought some t-shirts that the kids decorated. They were totally into this and it was fun to see what they drew on their shirts.
After lunch we explored a little. The kids waded in the river. We visited Mesa Falls, which were very beautiful. There was a cabin/visitors center there that was a little creepy to me (think labeled dead birds and bats in bags), but the kids thought it was great.
We also drove to a place called Warm River Springs and the kids and some adults went swimming. I'm not sure how "warm" it was, but they had fun. It was a really pretty place.
We drove back to the cabin and got ready for dinner. It was Trevor's parent's anniversary, so all the adults went out to dinner. Lisa and Diana watched the kids for us. It was great to have a nice dinner without lots of kid interruptions! The kids had a movie night with popcorn and candy, so I don't think they felt they missed out too much. After we got back and got the kids in bed, we had a Minute to Win It competition. There were definitely some hidden talents discovered!
Anyone who knows Trevor's family knows they're huge Wyoming Cowboys fans. In the months leading up to the reunion, I sewed pajama pants in UW colors for all the grandkids. I with I had gotten a picture of them together. They were super cute running around every night in their "brown and gold" p.j.'s.
On Sunday we got everything loaded up and went to church in Island Park. It was a very interesting experience. They have two buildings that were packed, so the overflow sat on the lawn where the meeting was broadcast. I thought it would take the whole meeting to pass the sacrament, but they had a very efficient system. It was funny to see the guys who brought reclining lawn chairs and blankets to lay (sleep) on during the meeting. We drove back through Yellowstone and saw some bison, elk, a moose, and a grizzly bear.
All in all, we had a great time...although I can't say I'm sad that will be awhile before we host again! Thanks for everyone who came and helped out. We really appreciate all you did!
