winter reunion 2013

Instead of exchanging presents with Grandma and Grandpa for Christmas, we headed to Bear Lake a few weeks later to hang out and spend what is one of our favorite weekends of the year.  It's the Winter Reunion! 

I had to smile when I found this note, written by Emmy:

(We were awestruck when we came up out of the canyon and this was our first view of the lake. 

It's hard to tell, but it was completely covered by clouds.  BEAUTIFUL!)

The indoor gym is always a favorite, and if we are really ambitious we the kids play in the snow.  The favorite activity for the adults seems to be lounging around in our jammies and chatting all weekend.  Other then for getting dressed up for church on Sunday, the official dress code is pj's.  My kind of weekend. 

Other favorite activities include Sardine games every night (even the littles join in, and man- it is frrrrreaky dark).  We get some good laughs out of that. Courtney and I are partners, cuz I need his big muscles to make me not feel so scared.  Claire is on her own (or with Aunt Kerri.  Thank goodness for that Aunt Kerri, she's a trooper- I'll tell you what).  Courtney and I just might not try to find people at all.  Instead, we might find a dark corner to hang out in and freak people out by touching them as they walk by.  We probably don't do that though, 'cuz that would be kind of jerky. 

Midnight usually finds us starting a game of that or Scum, for which we pull all of the tables together for the 20ish adults and kids who join in.  (And if you started out trying to go to bed instead, you tend to lay there and listen to everyone laughing and wish you would have joined, so the next night you figure you might as well join in the fun from the beginning.) 

 

 

  (As you can see, parties like this produce some radical hairdo's).

 

Someone was about ready to have a baby (in a week!), and didn't she look cute?  Which brings me to fun activity #156:  aunties helping paint and paper alphabet letters for the nursery, whilst the uncles poke fun.  What's a get-together without a Relief Society-ish craft project (except way cuter than any I've ever seen)?  You can never have too much Modge Podge, that's what I say. 

Lucky for Uncle AJ, Emmy and Halle were on hand to help him out with his ballet skills. 

Can't we do this every weekend?