Brady Reunion

One day I need to learn to just set time aside to post on vacation because so much happens it is quite a daunting task to try and post about it all when I get home. However, we are going to attempt to do it anyway.

We were so luckily to go on a wonderful vacation to Idaho for about 10 days. We left on Thrusday at noon. Luckily the free lunch that day happened to be sandwiches, so we just went and got those, so I didn't even have to make lunch. It was great. Anyway, we left for Idaho about 1:00pm and just drove and drove and drove. We made a couple bathroom stops, but we didn't stop for dinner. I packed egg salad sandwiches and just plain egg salad for Aunt Kitt. So, we just drove which is great because we ended up getting there about 9:30 which is pretty good time. The girls did a pretty good job traveling. They got to watch Moana on the way. This is Kylee's new favorite movie and she know quite a lot of the songs even though she has only seen it twice. Once we arrived at Grandpa-Great's house we just enjoyed. We let the girls stay up for a little bit and chat and hang with everyone, but I did send Gaupo and them to bed after not too long. Once they were in bed, we (meaning Oma, Papa, Klaire, Grandpa-Great, Kitt, Kara, and Seth) all chatted for awhile and then decided we should probably get some sleep too.

Luckily Friday morning didn't dawn until about 6:30 or 7:00, but it was going to be a big day, so this was a little too early still. Anyway, I got up with the kids and we played for awhile and then we had breakfast.

Kylee reading to Grandpa-Great and Tia.

Then we pitched our tent and put all our stuff either in there or in the car and dinked around for a little bit and then it was time for Reunion to begin. We drove up to Lava Hot Springs to swim. We were the first family there, but it was great. I helped Gaupo at first with the girls and the little kid slides, but then the lines to the big slides were short and he said he could handle it, so I went. I went with Klaire, Kitt, and Seth. It was so great. I haven't gone on waterslides in awhile. I kind of forgot how big of a wedgy you can get, but man they are still so fun. So, I spent from about 11:30 to 1:30 going between slides, and the platform to checking on and helping with my kids. The girls loved both the little kid area inside and the kid slides outside. However, because the night before was crazy and they only got a little sleep by lunchtime (1:30), Kylee was kind of a grouch and Tia was falling asleep while being held in the water. Luckily Aunt Karen got there with lunch and so we got them some food and then bless Gaupo's heart he took them home and let me stay and play. So, I did more slides, the diving boards, and the platform one more time. Man that platform is so scary. I really don't get a huge thrill from doing it, so I don't know exactly why I do, but there is something about it that makes you want to do it just once (and obviously sometimes twice).

 At around 4:00 we left to head back to Virginia and play minute-to-win-it games. Those are always really fun because almost anyone can do them and it is kind of surprising who is really good at it. Like who would have known that Grandpa was a master pencil bouncer, and the Josh could really work the chopsticks.

Elisse, Kara, Klaire, and Uncle Mark stacking dice.

Kylee with a Kleenex box with 8 ping-pong ball she had to shake out.

Then it was food time again. We had a weiner roast. It is kind of a Brady Family tradition. They use to have it at the Hugh Brady reunions on the first night, but for me the tradition more forms from it seem like whenever the family gathered we had a weiner roast, so to me that is what happens when the Brady family gathers. I do wish we could do it at the pit at Grandpa's, but you it would just be too much and it really is okay to do it at the church. After the roast, it was talent show time. Our family is so talented. It is true that most of us just cop-out a little and let our kids perform, but you know most of the kids love it, so it works. Kylee and Tia showed off their biking skills. They did a great job and they loved it. Kylee especially loves the talent show portion of it. I can tell because whenever she thinks she has learned a really cool trick she say, "Maybe I could do it for the talent show next year." Its awesome. After the show it was kind of late, but we decided to play one round of "Forever Wed." Which is were couple are asked questions about each other and they try to put down the same answer based on whether it is what the husband would say or the wife. Jason and I rocked it. We were ahead, but we lost when we didn't wager double and David and Gaylynn did and so they won by one point. It was a really fun game. After that it was late, so everyone who hadn't left yet left and went to Grandpa's to camp and/or play night games. Like I mentioned before Gaupo is awesome and he willing stayed with our kids, so that I could go play night games with my cousins who also have awesome spouses who let them come and also the awesome second cousins who are now the ones who play night games. We played kick-the-can, and Mission. It was so fun, but we finally had to call it at Midnight, so we could be ready for Saturday.

Saturday was a packed day as well. It started at 8:00 with a great pancake and more breakfast. Then we got that cleaned up and headed to Arimo park where we played softball and let the kids play on the playground. I played with the kids for the majority or it because if there is one part of the reunion that Gaupo really likes it is the softball game. So, I let him enjoy that kid free. However, towards the end my cousin Lisa volunteered to watch Kylee and Tia while I played for a bit, so I took her up on it and play and it was super fun. I got to bat a couple of times and luckily nothing really came my way in outfield, so it was awesome.

Chris, Gaupo, Spencer, and Robert playing softball.

After softball we play genealogy jeopardy, and then had lunch. Then Gaupo took the girls back to the house for nap while we had a pie eating contest, and another round of Forever Wed. This time Josh and Nicola won and they also won in double or nothing. Let me tell you, those Jensen's know each other when they need to. Then we played the Amazing Race. So, this was a race where we split into teams and got in cars and drove all over Marsh Valley and did and or answered things. We visited Grandma and Grandpa Studley where we answered trivia questions. Then we went to Grandpa's and had to roast mallows to perfection. Then we went to the cemetery and found the family headstones and the counted all of them in the cemetery. Then we went to Flags West and got milkshakes, and then we finished by stopping at Great-Grandma and Granpa Brady's and getting a tour of their home from the current homeowner, Kathy. I love that Kathy has that house. She loves it and all the history and everything is just so great for her. I really love how much she loves the house. After the amazing race we had an action using Brady bucks we earned at reunion and then we cleaned the church and were done. It was a crazy couple of days, but you know it was awesome. I love getting together with all my cousins. I love seeing there families grow and hearing what they are up to. I love being silly and playing. I love it all.

Emma and Tia enjoying the cows after reunion.

Anyway, reunion did come to end and we all said good-bye. Although on Sunday, my cousin Mike blessed his baby in Inkom, so we went to that with all his family plus Oma, Papa, Kitt, Klaire, and Grandpa-Great. Then we really did say good-bye and headed to SwanLake to surprise Grandma and Grandpa Merrill by coming sooner than they thought (not by much, but a little.) It was so great we got the reaction we wanted which was happiness and surprise on both their faces, so it was totally worth it. So, we stayed for church there and then we rushed to the house and got some lunch and then went to Logan to visit Grandma Hammond. We visited with her and everyone else that was there for a couple of hours and then headed home and dinner. Then we got the kids to bed played some games, chatted and then headed to bed too. It was a crazy wonderful weekend.