SURVIVOR Day 2 (...and 3)

DAY 2 began with the annual photo shoot...the boys pretty much hate this, but the girls are pretty much hams & humor me because they know that it is important to me. Amy & Adia had another commitment, so they aren't pictured & of course, Ben & Dara are in the hospital with Baby Ryan...

The whole group minus Ben & family, Amy & Adia...

Grandkids: (minus the oldest, Adia, & youngest, Ryan) The babies started crying so everyone decided to mimic them just for fun...

Celebrating Terri who turned 30 on this day!

Birth order, missing Ben...

Once the photoshoot was complete, we gathered in the front yard for our "skill challenges"...

BRICK BALANCE: stand on one foot (barefoot) & balance on a 3 1/2 X 8 inch brick (much more difficult for those with big feet!) After a certain time, different commands were given - toe to knee, hands on head, change feet, etc...

SANDBAGS: try to hold the sandbags as long as possible. Each minute, another sandbag was added. Once the sandbags were all distributed then they had to squat with them &/or press them overhead - but the "stare down" was most aefective...

ICE BLOCK: who can stand "barefoot" on a block of ice  the longest...

After lunch, we had some more fun team relay challenges...

BUCKET TO BUCKET RELAY: Place the "hat bucket" on your head while your team fills the hat bucket with super soakers, then run to your team's bucket & empty the hat bucket, trying not to spill any water! Run back & pass the hat bucket to the next team member until all teammates have gone.  Team with the most water in their bucket wins!

LAWN SKIIS:  4 teammates at a time step into the ski straps & work together to walk/run to the next set of 4 teammates & repeat until everyone has gone.  First team finished, wins! (Not as easy as it sounds!)

GIANT SLIP N SLIDE FUN: Celebrating the end of the games with some slip n slide fun - we set up a huge slip n slide dowsed with dish soap & a water hose...

Don't you just love "candid" photos that aren't posed???

After dinner we held an awards ceremony, recognizing the winner of each event & an overall winner. Congrats to Alana for accumulating the most points to become our overall Survival Champion!

We also celebrated Aunt Terri's 30th Bday! We wrote little notes for her & tried to guess what age she was in each photo (strung across the mantel)...of course followed by a dance party & one last story from G'pa...

DAY 3 - is usually a rafting/river float day. It's a good day to unwind & enjoy those last few moments with each other.  Unka Ty took the more adventuresome peeps to run Chili Bar, the upper half of the River. Then after lunch, we took the entire group on the "float" down to Henningsen/Lotus Park...

We all "SURVIVED" another family reunion. Yes, it is a lot of work, but I treasure this time with our family.  It's not 100% organized activities, there is some down time where the cousins just play, too.  These random moments are some of my favorites!

Family IS the key to survival..."it is a circle of strength & love.  With every birth & union it grows. Every crisis faced together makes the circle stronger."

Elder L. Tom Perry said, "The family is the center of life & it is the key to eternal happiness."