Company Retreat

My husband works for a company that his dad started years ago. The company has primarily done research on technology that is generally way over my head but completely fascinating. More recently, the company has transitioned to more commercial sales and has grown with amazing speed and energy. This weekend was the company retreat and it was a phenomenal experience. We went camping in our newly acquired cub trailer :) so that we could spend time with the other employees and their families and participate in some great activities that had been planned. This was especially fun for me because I've never even met many of the employees that have been hired in the last year (they work at the production facility versus my husband who works primarily at the research and admin facility).

We arrived Friday morning, dropped daddy off at the cowboy shooting competition and hung out in camp with the other early arrivals. Grandma (who also works for the company in a significant admin role) and some of the other ladies had a tent full of crafts and art supplies plus a table full of drinks and treats for us to enjoy throughout the day. The girls were especially thrilled with the play dough (I'm entirely too neurotic and sensitive to smells to let them play with it at home) and with the chance to play with friends. I really enjoyed getting to know some of the other employees and spouses as we sat around in the shade, chased kids and enjoyed being outside.

Dinner was amazing and the camp was full of people. Grandpa and Grandma led a campfire sing a long and we made smores (one of my favorite desserts). The girls were crazy and full of energy, obviously having a great time.

But my favorite activity was on Saturday morning. After breakfast and more craft time, the employees were split into teams for "an amazing race" style activity. Daddy went with his team while the girls and I (plus other families) just met them at the final destination--the new site for the production facility. Along the way, the team had followed clues and collected prizes that brought them to this spot. Daddy (as company president) welcomed them and conducted a brief but poignant meeting with our key admins getting to say a few words and then ended with a ground breaking ceremony. Grandpa (as the original founder and key scientist) went first and then invited Grandma and Daddy to take a turn with a shovel. It was an amazing, significant and powerful experience to watch this and acknowledge all of the work and progress that this moment represented.

It was a wonderful weekend and I'm so proud of my husband and this company. They do something that is so noble and important and they are dedicated and passionate individuals. Being together this weekend felt more like a family reunion than a company party, with lots of joking, teasing and sincere appreciation. Looking forward to many more experiences with this amazing group of people and being able to witness and appreciate all that they do...