Family!

This week was the precursor to the family reunion.  Miranda came up on Monday with Camden and little Ethan.  It was so nice to see them.  Monday Rebecca and family and Dad went to the Turpentine Creek Wild Cat sanctuary.  They enjoyed the big cats—lots of tigers.  It was a long drive.

I stayed home with the goal of sending off the last of my MyChoice401k web pages and auto responders. I did manage to get all the pages reviewed and sent off. It felt good to have it finished.  I should do some work on my www.TeenStyleU.com site, but I probably will not do as much as I should.  These next weeks are family weeks.

Tuesday Deborah and Ian and family arrived.  They are such cute kids.  Of course, the noise level in the house increased and the pandemonium and the joy of play.  Kids zipped down the zipline. Played in the water. Ran around in the little car.  Carried buckets of water to water the trees.  And they played with the dog, walked the dog, petted the dog, dragged the dog off on walks when he would rather have been resting.  All in all a good time was had by all.

The kids loved the chickens.  Miranda typically kept a good eye on Camden.  This is what happens when Miranda gets in the shower and asks us to keep an eye on him.

I think Wednesday we went to Cranfield "beach" and played in the lake. The kids had a really good time. We tried to get laundry done and packing. Mostly we got packed by Thursday night. Friday was the last of the odds and ends.  Trying to get four cars packed and 12 kids loaded and all the food necessary with shopping lists and all--- AKKK!

We stopped by Deborah’s house so she could check it out.  Then we drove to Harrison and stopped at Aldes with a shopping list.  Here was the stressor.  We needed to get to Branson and get checked in by 4 so Tom and I could drive to girls’ camp and get there by 5pm.  That meant we had to get the shopping done quickly.  We got 98% of what we needed and got to Branson by 3:30.

Our unit was ready, but it took some time to get checked in.  Rebecca’s unit wasn’t ready yet. Nor was Deborah and Ian’s so they all piled into our unit.  We tossed food and belongings into it and left Miranda and Rebecca to sort it out.  We arrived at girl’s camp at 5:30 which was in plenty of time.  I think they ran late the whole week.  They had an Olympic theme with different years being from different “countries.”  Apparently they had fantastic food from all over the world—including homemade fortune cookies with scriptures and great quotes inside them!

We watched the skits and the Bishop’s Olympics what included flip-flop toss and a hula hoop toss.  Tom made it to the second round.  Then President Chandler spoke and we broke into wards for the bishops to talk and testimony meetings. We left about 11:30 and made good time back to Branson.  We got in a little after 12.  Jonathan and Kristy arrived from Iowa before we got back to Branson.

Andy and Kera and family came on Saturday.  The kids had a great time at the pool and play ground.  They ran from condo to condo popping into units with clamor and enthusiasm.  Game playing takes place after the kids are in bed for the adults—Five Crowns, Wacky Six’s. Then there is much shrieking and hilarity from the adults.  Stories are told of childhood or other events.

Sunday we needed to be ready to change rooms.  We moved to a lock-off which gives us more room.  It’s just that we’d be at church when it was time to move.  So we had to have everything packed and located in the Kitchen.  I moved all the food for dinner over to Rebecca’s.  That thinned out the frig a bit and Tom was able to pack all the rest of the food into bags and coolers.  

They did move us while we were at church.  Adam and Savannah and family arrived in the early afternoon.  As soon as we came back from church we all pitched in.  To unloaded and unpacked in our room.  Kristy, Rebecca and I worked on chopping for Taco Salad.  We all met in the pavilion to eat.  It just seems quieter when we are outside.  Must be the sound has more places to go.  The kids have been good and seem to be having fun.

I had a seminary meeting tonight at 6pm at the Branson ward meeting house.  It was a productive meeting.  However, it’s been a long day!  I will finish this and go to bed.  The wild wacky six players are slowing down a bit, too, I think.