Monday, July 25, 2011

Reunion Times Four


Ahh, summertime. Impromptu barbecues, chilled watermelon, homemade ice cream, tank tops, flip-flops, belly-flops, and, for many of us, reunions.

Last week, the little town of Eden, Utah experienced an enormous spike in population as 30 of Mama Billie's (sitting pretty amongst her grandchildren and great grandchildren) relatives from Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Florida and Utah checked into the Snowberry Inn. An iced keg of rootbeer from Rooster's Brewery graced the kitchen, providing refreshment in-between shopping trips, hikes, boating expeditions, wildlife safaris, target shooting, hot tubbing, alpine sliding, the Ogden Pioneer Days Rodeo, a tour of Model Linen, and games of volleyball, wiffleball, horseshoes, and cards. It was the 2nd Annual Eden, Utah Gray Family Reunion. And it was fun, fun, fun!!!

But I'm exhausted.

When my husband and I got up at 5 Sunday morning to take my sister and Mama Billie to the airport, we thought we'd have a couple of days to catch our breath before Mom, my 3 boys, and I drive to Colorado for my 20 year high school reunion. But then my uncle, aunt and their 3 teenagers called after their whirlwind trip to Yellowstone to say they're staying at our house for a couple of nights before heading back to Dallas. So! I popped a couple of elk roasts in the Crock-Pot and made a fresh batch of iced tea. The good thing is, I'm not the only one who's exhausted so while some of them went to Costco to get family reunion photos developed, the rest of us are hanging out at home, watching The Simpsons Movie.

Still. I'm exhausted. And I've got three more reunions (one for my advertising agency, one for my husband's high school, and one for my high school) to go!

Anyone else having a big reunion (or two or three) this summer? My friends just had one in Durango, CO with 100 family members! Holy cow! Steph, don't you have your 20 year high school reunion this summer, too? Or has it already happened?

6 comments:

TinaFerraro said...

I've got a reunion of sorts coming up at the end of the summer, but nothing of the scale of yours, Wendy! But most of all, what jumped out at me from this post was phrase, "So I popped couple of elk roasts in the Crock-Pot..." Elk roasts? This is a new one on me!

Happy summer, Wendy!

erica and christy said...

We do a family reunion with my aunts, uncles, cousins and families every summer in Merrimac, WI. This year the best we could do was 50, but next year we're shooting for the full 70. (and 2 more years before the 20th HS reunion for both me and hubby)

Wendy Toliver said...

Yeah, Tina. Elk roasts. The DH is a hunter, and actually, elk is very tasty and lean. :)

And erica and christy, 70 will be crazy-awesome! Thanks for commenting!

Heather Davis said...

Wow, it was a happy invasion, Wendy! I have a cousin's big birthday coming up and will see family there, but we're not really a reunion kind of family. Glad yours was fun!

Marley Gibson said...

Wow, Wendy! I'm exhausted just reading. LOL! Hope you had an awesome time!

stephhale said...

Wendy,

We haven't had a reunion yet. So sad! They had a big one with several years last year but I couldn't make it. I'm hoping they do another one where they combine years so I can see more people!