family reunion days 4 & 5

Saturday was supposed to be a perfect day weather-wise so we decided to switch plans around again. I really worked so hard on the schedule and tried to find the perfect balance of enough to do that we weren't getting bored but not too much to do that we were going crazy. It was hard to then have to readjust everything because of the weather but we still managed to do just about everything we had planned and I think it all worked out.

Saturday started with some of the younger ones enjoying a squirrel on the porch. Seriously, they were mesmerized for a a long time.

We enjoyed a yummy pancake breakfast made by mom and dad and then got ready for family pictures. I was hoping to be able to do them in the evening for better lighting but getting 29 people presentable in the evening (17 of which are kids) just isn't ideal. Instead we did the best with the lighting we had. All in all, I think they turned out pretty well. Our family is just getting too big-it's a difficult size to photograph!

The whole gang.

Crystal's family.

Nathan's family.

Caleb's family.

 Mara's family.

 My family.

 The grandchildren. As you can see Tatum and Finn were the difficult ones. Something about age 2 just doesn't agree with photo sessions. But we managed to corral Finn behind the fence and Tatum in Caden's arms. Go us! :)

After pictures we headed down to the water. The men went on to Frisco to get fishing licenses. Then we proceeded to enjoy many hours near the lake. I was actually kind of surprised how long we were able to spend there. Dad brought his blow up kayak and took some kids out in that. The kids LOVED fishing even though nothing was caught. The toddlers (and grown men) enjoyed throwing rocks in the water. And the day was just beautiful.

Grandma came prepared with bubbles because she is the best.

Tatum was a bit of a grouch at the start of this. And quite OCD about her life jacket. Luckily Marci came to the rescue with some M&Ms to stop the emotional meltdown.

Tatum's first time fishing with daddy!

Wyatt's hat just makes this picture awesome I think. That kid cracks me up.

Rocking throwing. So much fun.

The two youngest boys even managed to fall asleep in the hot sun. Tyce was kind enough to stay asleep for a little bit after he was laid down. Not Declan.

The hat. Again, it just makes the picture that much better.

The three youngest being sleepy and being held.

These two found their way to Crystal, of course.

And played some awesome rock dancing game. :)

That night the 10 siblings/spouses/parents got to go out and Grandma and Papa were awesome and watched all 17 kids for us! But with sweet helpers like Claire, I'm sure it was a breeze. :)

Really, it was so nice of them. And it was so fun for us all to go out and spend some time together without the kids and their seemingly constant needs. We had a reservation at a restaurant in Breckenridge, but it was for outdoor seating. Of course, right as we pull up it starts raining. Quite a lot. We waited for awhile, hoping it would pass and we even checked with some other restaurants but no one else could accommodate a party as big as ours. Eventually we just decided to sit in their outdoor seating and use the protection of the umbrellas as much as we could. Brennan and I were the only ones clueless enough to not wear jackets! We were a little chilly and a little wet but it makes for a good story, right? :) Plus, we saw a triple rainbow. And some of the food was really good! Not what I ordered (so dang spicy-it was like eating spoonfuls of cajun seasoning.) Brennan's nachos were semi-good, but a lot of the chips were burned. Mara's tacos were delicious! But it was the experience! We were out without kids and with a bunch of people we love and don't see often. And after dinner we walked around Breckenridge and stopped at a dessert place and Brennan and got a hazelnut caramel apple cider and it was so delicious! My mouth is watering just thinking about it. We stopped at the grocery store, where we learned that they charge for grocery bags in Breckenridge, and then headed home. Everyone there survived although I think it's safe to say that mom and dad were worn out.

On Sunday we headed to the local ward for Church and then came home for a little family spiritual meeting as well. It ended with us acting out the story of Samuel the Lamanite using marshmallows as the arrows. Not surprisingly it was a hit.

Ben was nominated to have a turn as Samuel and decided to fire back. :)

That afternoon was the much anticipated family auction. I can't believe I didn't take a picture of the display beforehand, I swear every year it gets more impressive. I was lame and didn't contribute anything this year but everyone else came through and it was awesome. Even Declan got in on the bidding and bought himself a pretty spectacular toy boat homemade by Jaren.

This was Brennan's homemade piece for the auction. I thought it turned out pretty well!

Grandma kept the kids entertained all afternoon with treasure hunts and dinosaur egg hunts and more.

After a somewhat cooped up day we decided to take most of the kids to a nearby park that evening to burn off any extra energy.

We even played a little Fishy Fishy.

Sadly Ben had to head home Sunday evening. We missed having him around the rest of the reunion but we were happy he got to come for as long as he did.