Family History is Alive

For Memorial Day weekend we went to St. George for a family reunion. I was in charge of the day's activities. We played giant Twister (26X26 spots), guess-how-many-candies-are-in-the-jar, and whodunit (to find out unique things about everyone). The kids even had kid-time away from the adults. It's definitely not fun to be around when "boring, but necessary" business is being discussed. Aside from the "candy-thief", everything came off without a hitch.


They say there is a first for everything and this reunion was it. Lessons I learned?


1--The location should be close to home for ease in transporting materials and grabbing last minute, forgotten item(s). It's inevitable that you forget something.


2--Designate someone to be photographer. Even though I sometimes think I can do it all...hmmm...impossibility? Yes.


3--To keep everyone's attention I rotated the games (announced jar winners, then read some whodunits, announced some more jars, sang a song, etc.).





4--The guessing jars were a hit AND they served two purposes--decoration and game. With the newsprint paper covering the tables and crayons close by, it was easy to write the guesses around each jar.


5--There could have been a little more history of our ancestors included, in the trivia quips perhaps.


6--We served ice cream bars to end the event--another favorite of the family. (Thanks to my brother!)


If you are planning reunions in the future remember:

It's all for FAMILY (you may not always know all the people who attend but they are very forgiving)! AND Regardless of the outcome of activities or entertainment or the food, the important thing is that you are together.

LET'S HEAR IT FOR LIVE FAMILY HISTORY!!!!

P.S. I must say that the trip down there convinced me that I really do NOT like sleeping in a tent. However, I realized how such a small sacrifice of comfort can turn into a huge reward of family fun!

Summer? Not!

It has felt like summer for a couple of days (even though it's currently raining)...my nose was the first to notice. "Looking forward to summer" has taken on a whole new meaning for me ever since I started having allergies to certain pollens. Some years it's worse than others. If the change in weather is gradual the pollen isn't quite so menacing. However, this year my allergies kicked it into high gear (with the not so gradual weather change) which caused my body to fight back with a full-blown cold.

It always amazes me that us mothers can survive sickness and disease with so many other demands on our time. What, you say I should rest? Who can rest when caos looms all around you. "Sure, Mom, sleep as long as you like...we won't make a mess!" Which translates to "Good, Mom is sleeping, now we can do whatever we want."

Okay so maybe I'm exagerrating just a little. I must say that my kids are usually very good about entertaining each other when I need to rest. I've even been allowed to sleep in a few mornings in a row (after adding a supportive husband to the mix).

Isn't it great how all members of one family can work as a team! We are all in this together! Life throws us curve balls, even as small as a cold. If you put life into perspective you realize that a simple cold isn't as big a deal as brain tumors, or cancer, or sending husbands away to war. Yet we can choose to throw the bat down and walk away or re-grip for what could be our best hits yet.

Hopefully we learn from these small lessons to prepare for harder ones we have yet to face.

It's beginning to look A Lot Like Christmas

...on the Internet. Yep! I'm officially a blogger. Just recently I heard a quote given by President Gordon B. Hinckley (who was quoting Jenkin Lloyd Jones*): Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around and shouting that he's been robbed. The fact is that most putts don't drop, most beef is tough, most children grow up to be just people, most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration, most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. Life is like an old time rail journey...delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas, and a thrilling burst of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride.







Some days are definitely trickier than others. Today I am thankful for the ride that I'm taking with my family. Yesterday, Mother's Day, was one of those beautiful vistas...I was served breakfast in bed by miniature waiters and waitresses, ate lopsided-heartshaped cake made by amateur bakers, read a love note on the front porch and was given gifts from tiny hearts filled to overflowing with love. A used lipgloss "cell-phone" could, under some circumstances, be less desirable, except when it comes from your six year old as one of her most prized possessions. Kids Meal toys also top the charts.








Hopefully, I'll never forget that the best things come in small packages!

*"Big Rock Candy Mountains," Deseret News, 12 June 1973 was referenced in Pres. Hinckley's Talk that appeared Mar. 1997, Ensign.