Gram Fam Reunion

I have an amazing beyond words, crazy fun, very talented, wonderful family.  And last weekend, we joined some of them for the Gram Fam Reunion 2013.

This particular side of our crazy wonderful family is my husband's dad's family.  There are seven siblings, (including Grandpa), 12 cousins (including husband) and a growing boatload of great-grans (including my kiddos).  The beloved matriarch of this group, our Gram, passed away last August and the reunion was held to honor and remember her.

The "auntorage" (Like entourage, but of the aunties.  They act as family social director among their other many roles) arranged for us to gathered at a beautiful, spacious and luxurious cabin in Idaho.  The siblings gathered early in the week with the cousins and the kids trailing in later.

So on Thursday, I dashed home from teaching at the gym to shower and finish loading our truck and trailer before we managed to get on the road, only slightly behind schedule.  The girls slept through Utah and roused just after the Idaho border.  I happily searched out a 7-Eleven to visit, to celebrate free slurpee day (no, really!) only to find that the chain does not exist in Idaho.  Sad news for me.  The drive continued anyway with snacks, movies and a nasty headwind until we arrived just before dinner at the cabin.  We parked the trailer and unleashed the children to run and play and discover the many cousins waiting for them.  Husband parked and set up our little trailer (as big as the cabin was, our family is bigger and a few of us had brought tents.  or in our case, our little travel trailer.) and we eagerly said hello.

Soon we were feasted on tender steaks, baked potatoes, poached salmon and other delectables.  (which might not be an actual word but it should be.  especially when it comes to this family.)  The kids ran off to play with cousins, we lounged around chatting, excitedly greeting new arrivals and snacking on leftovers.  We played a brilliant, fun and meaningful game.  We made teams of three (I joined up with a few other "married in"s, deciding our short time in the family might be a disadvantage but had fun guessing answers anyway).  Each team was given a Powerpoint slideshow of pictures and one page at a time, we were challenged to identify people, places and events.  What a great game!  I loved hearing the memories being murmured around us and family laughing as we wandered through the years.  Then, once most of the kids were in bed we had a quick family meeting for cabin rules and such.  We declared ourselves to be finished about 11:00 at night and adjourned.  But rather than going to bed, the kitchen erupted into make-you-melt smells of goodness as cookies were baked and chocolate cake was made.

The kids slept well and I was the first one awake, waiting to play with cousins again.  Eventually Lovely bounced into wakefulness and we went in to visit with family.  Breakfast was followed by packing lunches and after some group inertia, we made our way to Yellowstone Park.  We stopped at the Grand Prismatic Spring to wander with husband's brother and family and Grandma.  The colorful pools were beautiful and the girls exclaimed over the steam.  We continued onto Old Faithful, watching the impressive geyser and looking for family.  We met them briefly in the inn and then parted again.  Our kids were so tired and we had seen a historical soda fountain we wanted to visit in West Yellowstone.  But as we drove through the park a little more, admiring some of the pools along the way, the girls all fell asleep (me included) and we continued back to the cabin.  The afternoon was relaxing and fun, chatting with family, playing outside in the sunshine and readying for another tasty feast.  Late that evening, Uncle J got out his guitar and in his rich, deep and powerful voice, he sang and played as we sat and talked quietly.  I especially enjoyed sitting and talking for hours with a cousin from Boston who I rarely get to see.  She let me cuddle her beautiful, tiny baby and I loved talked with her.  Our cousins, as many as there are, each are incredible individuals, with such depth and strength, and wonderful admirable talents.  I love being with them, talking with them and hearing about their adventures, kids, careers and hobbies.  Equally treasured was the time spent with the aunties and uncles, getting to talk and relax and enjoy being with them.  They had so wonderfully prepared this weekend as an opportunity for us to be together and showered us with love, tasty food and fun activities.

Saturday was an adventure.  Our family was on breakfast duty so I turned out fresh waffles while Grandpa fried fresh trout from the kids' fishing trips, my sister cut fruit and more.  We took family pictures in our new matching "Red is Best!" shirts.  Then, Uncle S gave a short presentation to the kids on bird watching, wonderfully spoken on their level and then thoughtfully gave them coloring books and crayons with various birds.  The Aunties had arranged for us to go white water rafting while they kept the kids, filling their day with crafts and water games.  But the logistics of the trip turned out to be more difficult than we hoped and we decided to cancel the trip.  With a little more auntie help, we threw together an impromptu river float, managing to gather enough tubes from the garage and head down to the nearby river for a mostly gentle float.  We piled onto our various devices into the river and had more fun than I could possible describe.  Instead of spreading out, racing or competing as we drifted with the current, we joined together as a massive blob.  We soon decided that a herd of tubes was to be called a "cousin" of tubes in our honor.  We shifted and played, sometimes making various letter formations (an H, V, A, etc) or a large circle, trapping cousin K in the middle for her dance solo.  We celebrated our Diet Coke and dove into the snacks the Aunties prepared for us, particularly the dried mangos and Peachie-Os that passed from tube to tube, precariously dangling over the water.  Sometimes we separated around rocks and cried out again for more Peachie-Os.  Eventually we made our way home where some cleaned up but most eventually headed back to the river, now with kiddos in tow for a short, gentle float.  I stayed at the house with the baby, letting her run and explore and play with her little cousins (trying to curb her exuberance).  Husband took our two big girls to the river where they had a fantastic time in a canoe with Daddy.  After our river adventures and yet another delicious dinner, Grandpa helped the kids crack open rocks, discovering gems and then making rock collections.  I took our rambunctious baby for a walk while they continued onto the next activity, using ample amounts of legos to build representations of Gram memories.  The kids came up with creative examples that tugged tenderly and then we finished the activity with cousin J reading an inscription Gram had written in a book she gave him for his baptism long ago.  The words were her feisty humor and determined strength testifying of Christ, the perfect ending for our evening.  (followed by gingerbread cookies, made just the way Gram used to make).  The kids ran off to play but the siblings and cousins lingered, looking at more pictures from the first night's activity and talking.  Aunt C took up her guitar and began to sing.  Once we quieted, she explained that the song was written in memory for Gram and played it again.  Her voice rings with rich clarity, soothing strength and deep passion, the verses and melody being the perfect tribute to our Gram and touching us deeply.  What a beautiful gift.

Sunday was our last day.  We feasted, packed and played, reluctantly readying to leave.  We gathered at 11 for a devotional, conducted by husband and featuring cousin J as the speaker, fresh off a mission to the Czech Republic to share highlights of his experiences.  To close, the girl cousins sang the song they performed at Gram's funeral, "Where Can I Turn For Peace?"  In perfect harmonies, enriched by generation of talent, it was profoundly beautiful and tender.  And after, it was spontaneously asked of Uncle J to sang the song he performed a the funeral as well, "Amazing Grace/I'll Fly away".  Uncle J's voice was strong, filling the room, while his daughter sailed above in high, gentle harmony with her clear, gorgeous tones and the rest of the family quietly sang along, adding the fullness underneath.  Such talent and emotion blended together for an incredible experience.

After a flurry of eating lunch, final packing and saying goodbyes, we were on our way home.  We napped, read books, snacked and eventually arrived home again.