Number one on the list of most kids (and parents wanting to occupy their children and have no filth-phobias) has to be the streams. Little streams cross the grounds making for hours of boat races and mud cultivation:
That picture of a muddy Allen was taken literally 5 minutes after arriving; he can be very efficient.Number two is the bike riding. There are miles of bike paths and we all bring our bikes:
Okay, that's not my bike. We use the tag-alongs with the boys:
We typically bike half way between Hailey and Ketchum and then stop on the way back to play in the Wood River:
Now you may think the dads do all the work, but our boys can be little motors. They were exhausted by the time we got back to town:
There's also the ice skating. Though, Brian spent most of his time like this:
On Labor Day weekend there's also Wagon Days:
Eh, it's more fun than that parade picture makes it look.Finally, My parents put on a big competition for all their 32 grandkids (and now, let me count.... about 6 great grandkids). We have relay races:
And a written test on how well you know your family, the first prize being a trip with the grandparents.
Our boys, being among the youngest, didn't stand a chance this year--at least they got their questions right :-)--but they see their grandparents almost every day anyway.Finally, we do a family picture:
How LDS are we? As we were crowding in to take the picture one of my brother-in-laws quipped that he was glad he didn't bring his other wives.And yeah, I'm sad to say there was that Proposition 8 issue looming over the whole thing. During the family quiz, one of the questions was which of your family there was married. I heard debate, and some asked their parents about my family. When the topic of the election came up Rob expressed his dislike for McCain for his support for Proposition 8 and the room turned from jovial to cold to another topic. In the midst of idle chit chat we were talking to one of my sisters about our August month of many trips and our San Diego trip came up along with our reasons for going there. There was a surprised and quiet moment of mental processing between us then where I'm sure she was feeling the same thing I was: how sad it is that I, her brother, didn't feel I should tell her we got married, even if again. It had to come up in a round about way, because I, right or wrong, thought it'd just cause trouble between us. And I may have been right. I mean, how sad is it that she couldn't say congratulations? To her brother, who's marriage she and many others in our family are paying their church to fight to annul.
I don't want to end on that note.
It was a great trip. I love my family, from the sinners, to the saints, to the sinning saints, and the sainted sinners. We enjoy all their company, when the walls of faith and politics are down. It can just be bitter sweet, at times.
[Commercial] When you're headed to Sun Valley from Salt Lake, take the Burley/Paul exit and head north. Not only is it my favorite exit, you'll take 20 minuets off your trip headed to Shoshone that way. Best of all you can stop right there at Connor's Cafe. Great home style cooking, and superb pie. We used to go there all the time during the pheasant hunt and it holds a lot of good memories for my family. It's Utahcog approved.
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6 comments:
It's sad that people can't get pas the political things...and it's sad that they let politics only talk about the things that have little-to-no-import on their daily lives.
*sigh*
I'm glad you and Rob and the boys had fun. I was up in SLC over the weekend and thought about visiting you guys.
Your photo reminds me of a big Utah Valley family reunion I went to a few years ago. We had the big outdoor family portrait with matching t-shirts too... ;^)
Being in a family of 10 kids, I look forward to the day of our ginormous family reunions.
We haven't had a significant one with other family members (my aunts, uncles, and cousins) in years.
I am nervous about how my family will react if I don't have the "acceptable" marriage... whether I am celibate or not. Explaining things to my nieces and nephews would be one tough cookie.
It's sad she couldn't say congratulations, even if it didn't come naturally to do so. Sometimes things are too important and whatever it is you think about the issue should be set aside.
I only just started reading your blog, and I never saw that you got married. Congratulations from a stranger. I hope one day you get it from your family, too.
kb: " I was up in SLC over the weekend and thought about visiting you guys."
We should plan another time for a bunch of us to get together. We've, for the past couple years, met other at the winter pride ice skating event, but that's all the way into February.
cl: "We had the big outdoor family portrait with matching t-shirts too... ;^)"
Well of course :-). The best is, after the picture, then walking arround town all with matching shirts. We looked like some sort of domesticated biker gang.
mhit:"Explaining things to my nieces and nephews would be one tough cookie."
I've found the younger and older kids, for the most part, get it. It really is a simple situation made to be complicated, and it's mainly the tweens that are in that place between.
Some though are very sheltered and taught truisms early on. I wonder what my siblings tell them about our families, if anything. Once an 11-year-old nephew from my most conservative sibling asked Rob where his wife was. He left it at "I don't have a wife," and left the rest for my sister. But, by talking to them as adults, it seems most of the others have just taken us as a couple as a given.
And hey, welcome Cosha! Thank you.
"I hope one day you get it from your family, too."
Also, I hope I didn't give the impression my family on whole isn't supportive. My parents and some of my siblings are just great to us; it's just that this last weekend was spent with the more conservative clan of our clan. I've been lucky and would regret comming off as complaining (too much ;-)).
It was an amazing trip to Sun Valley.
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