Family Reunion Time!

Family Reunions are A LOT of WORK! But the rewards are priceless!

I love that families trickle in a few days before the official reunion begins for a little down time to explore the property & the River & to get re-aquainted with their cousins that most of them only see once a year during the reunion. I hope they are building memories & family relationships that they will treasure as they grow older...

Those who come a few days early like to just chill & enjoy what the Riverhouse has to offer before we start our organized activities...Terri & kids were the first to arrive. They were anxious to jump on the river first thing to cool off...

They joined us for a little "picnic in the park" with our ward. Liv & G'pa enjoyed this silly little "Wet Heads" game that soaked one of them pretty good! It's a game of chance - one of the red pegs releases that blue cap full of water. If you don't get wet when you pull a peg out, you pass the hat to the next person...G'pa got lucky, Liv did not!

Jill & Cindi showed up next with their kids. They were a big help gathering goodies from my garden...

We enjoyed a little swimming at Kyle & Amy's house...

And more fun on the river...these girls were interested in learning how to paddle a kayak.

Karaoke Night is always a favorite for whomever ends up here for FHE. It often ends up being a sing-a-long, but it’s fun to see young ones develop confidence as they perform for cousins…

...and then some people enjoy a serious Sing-Off!

We went through all the ride it toys & purged those that had seen better days…we had to say goodbye to the Jeep Wrangler this year…I've replaced the wheels so many times - it finally died, beyond resurrection! 

One of my students gave this to me in 2001 after they had out grown it. It has been well loved through the years…look how cute da boyz were back in the day!

But no worries, I decided to use some of the $ my mom left me to replace it with this cute little John Deere. I know it would put a smile on her face to know that she provided a little fun & a lot more smiles from her great grandchildren…

Through the years I’ve collected a few bikes & scooters & ride it toys. It’s quite the 3 Ring Circus when everyone is here playing on them!

G'pa likes to get out his ride-it toys, too...

Let’s face it, the River really is the main attraction! Our kids grew up enjoying day trips to raft this River. It’s fun to watch the next generation develop a love for rafting, kayaking & exploring the cool waters of the American River. Every evening, after dinner, the water drops down to the perfect level for exploring...

   

Now...Let the GAMES begin!