Smith (Scott and La Rae) Family Reunion

The Smith Family Reunion was this weekend June 29th-July 3, 2016.  We have known it was coming for over a year and we have done our best to plan for it.  Whether we could go or not was up in the air till about a month or two ago.  With Joel being a new apprentice and new in the shop he's working at, asking for time off--especially over the 4th of July-- was laughable.  We asked and was originally told no.  Then as he built a relationship with his boss the story of how Joel was raised by so many of the members of the family emerged, especially his Grandma BR, his bosses hearts were touched because they too had close connections with their grandparents and extended family.  They gave Joel the time off he asked for and then had him actually take more so that he could be up to Wyoming the day it officially started.

We left Tuesday after Joel got off work and drove to Lehi.  We stayed in Lehi and continued our drive all the next day.  We made a couple hour stop at Little America where we all got out of the car, had something to eat--ice cream cones of course, then let Hailey and Emi play.  They would play forever it they could.  We arrived in Burlington around 8pm.  The girls were tired but with the excitement of new toys, a large green grass backyard and new friends, they weren't planning on going to bed any time soon.

Donna Basset made arrangements with a friend to borrow a 5th wheel trailer.  This is where we stayed.  It was appreciated to be close but still have a place of our own to put the girls down for naps. Naps... yeah that was a hit or miss most days.  Hailey was so wound up that she only wanted to play, play, and play some more.  Emi just got crankier and crankier until she fell asleep.  The first day, Emi's nap just happened to be in a teepee Jaime's friend had made for us.

Thursday the activities started.  We met at Armory Park in Lovell.  With the Smith family it's always a hug fest at arrivals and departures.  Everyone hugged.  I had barely stepped out of the car when I turned around and Scott Pyrah was there with a big bear hug to say hello. :)  After the hugs, we set up lawn chairs and blankets.  The kids ran off to play on the playground.  There were get to know you events aimed at helping the cousins get to know each other.

They had a bounce house and a bounce slide.  The bounce how was crowded beyond anything I would ever get in, but all the kids had a blast. Most of the time everyone looked out for each other.  You could leave your kid and someone would know who they had run off to play with.

Joel's mom and sister came, Robyn and Jaime and the girls, came to the park.  It has been a while since they've seen our girls and they enjoyed the time.  Towards the mid afternoon they watched the girls while Joel and I ran up to Devil's Canyon.  It is the place where two canyon's, the Bighorn and Devil's, come together and converge into the Big Horn River... I think...  The canyons are over a thousand feet high.  I didn't understand why they called it Devil's Canyon, but if you step back or look from above, it looks like a three pronged devil's tail.

After the Devil's Canyon we we to the Queen Bee Chocolate Factory.  This is Joel's favorite chocolate and caramel place.  The chocolate is sweetened with honey, not other sugars. He loves the caramel pearls and he can keep them all.  They are definitely not my favorite.  But that works because then he has something that he knows he can keep in the house without my fingers getting into.

In the Smith family, it's not just enough for the parents or siblings to know each other, EVERYONE HAS TO KNOW EACH OTHER!!  My patriarch bless says ........

It wasn't till later in the weekend that I realized that the Smith family was the reference in my blessing.  There is part of my patriarchal blessing that says, "He shall...broaden your eternal perspective, ...and make more full the Father's plan in your understanding of family, eternity, and how precious life's experiences are."  They teach the importance of family, but not only do they teach it, the embody it.  As an inlaw, things aren't always easy and fitting in and feeling accepted can be difficult but many members at the reunion have welcomes me and embraced me as though I was a long time friend or one of their own kids.

I felt loved this weekend by many and it was needed and appreciated.  There were moments where an individual's actions touched me and only I knew it.  There were conversations that were had that could only be given by them.  There were cousins who stepped in and acted like siblings to my kids so that I could have much needed reprieve.

Friday during the scavenger hunt we took a detour and met up with Randy Smith and traveled up the mountain to visit the other side of the Smith family.  Robyn and Jaime were watching the girls so it was nice to get away into Joel's favorite mountains, enjoy the cold temperatures and see some family.  We had a great time on the mountain.  Then we took a "short drive" aka almost an hour away to go to Bear Lodge for dinner.  It again is one of Joel's favorite places to eat and I'm sure that he appreciated that he was able to go even though we hadn't planned on it.  Thank you Randy, Jackson, and Skyler.  It was fun driving with Skyler and Jackson.  Poor Jackson had to sit in the back seat with Joel and was picked on the whole way up and back.  They had a good time...I hope.

While we were at the scavenger Hunt, Jaime's girls and Hailey and Emi went for a photo shoot.  This is just a sneak peak.

Friday after the scavenger hunt we met at the activities center in Greybull and attempted to roller skate.  I begged Joel until he gave him and I'm grateful he did.  Hailey had a blast skating.  After skating we had dinner and then they set up for a family dance.  Hailey and Emi were crashing hard so we didn't stay.  But it looked like it was a good time.

Saturday I think was one of my favorite days.  It was more relaxed because we didn't really have anywhere to be.  There were events planned but they were all at Donna's farm.  We had a pancake breakfast and then had a flag ceremony.  Then we all went off to different farm activities.  Horseback riding.  Pony rides.  Sitting around talking.  Playing in the water or on the trampoline.  Eating homemade bread, butter and jam.

At the flag ceremony, they played a history recorded about the American Flag and how it stood in the last battle to show our independence.  I had remember in school that the flag stood all through the night and it was a miracle.  I did not know that the flag only stood because men and women sacrificed their lives to hold it up once the support was gone.  It was emotionally touching.  After the recording, Joel sang the Star Spangled Banner.  As Joel started to sing people started to sing with him.  It was one of the most powerful flag ceremonies I've been to.  

Saturday evening we all came together for closing ceremonies.  A video had been put together bout the families.  There were even short clips of video footage from back in the day.  There was even a short clip with Joel's dad in it.  It was an emotional weekend for everyone.  

Sunday a group of us came together for church.  It was testimony meeting and the Smith's took over the ward we attended.  After church we packed up and headed back to Jaime's.  BR had asked that we spend Saturday evening in Lovell so she could have more time with her girls and Joel.  Joel enjoyed staying up late and talking.  The girls stayed Sunday morning with Jaime, Robyn, and BR.  Joel and I went to church and were able to pay attention because we weren't wrangling toddlers.

Sunday afternoon eventually came and we had to leave to head up to Billings.  Joel was flying out Monday and we wanted to get up there at a time when Hailey and Emi would nap on the way up.  We spent Sunday evening with Myrna and Ernie.  It was a fun filled weekend with lots to learn and think about.  The girls had a blast.  Hailey occasionally still finds where we hid the honey candies.