My grandfather Lewis turned 90 on July 5th and for the past few years a reunion celebrating this event has been in the works!! It had been 16 years or so since this many of the Glenn Lewis family gathered (counting babies there were probably 100 of us) and we really had a good time. And since we're not really Utah people and unlike many of our Allen, Texas church friends we DON'T run off to Utah each summer, AND since we were going to make the effort to DRIVE, we were going to make a vacation out of it and see some of the things Utah has to offer. So for the next few posts, I'll be bringing you up to speed on our trip.Days 1-3 of the trip:
Were really a lot of driving. I'd prepared for the worst and had amassed quite the arsenal of activities for the kids in the car. Sure we had a portable DVD player but I didn't want my kids brains turning to mush so we mixed it up with music, Books on CD, I read "James and the Giant Peach" to them, we colored, etc. We were prepared for the worst, but they amazingly did really great in the car!The first day we left about noon and drove to the New Mexico-Colorado border. And stayed in a REALLY GROSS Super 8 Motel (everything else was full!!) thankfully our stay there was brief. The next day we drove from there to Moab and spent the late afternoon in ARCHES NATIONAL PARK! It was a really cool place!!
These rock formations were amazing! All the layers of rock and the way that nature has created these "tunnels" as Lindsey called them!!We spent the next morning in the Park as well driving around and went on a small hike to see this famous arch (it's in the background)
Then we got back in the car and drove the rest of the way to Heber City, UT where my grandfather had rented a lodge (a massive house on a couple acres) that would be the gathering point for the weekend reunion. It was a great house that slept 22 on beds alone and was just perfect for our group to meet!!People started arriving on Friday evening but it wasn't until Saturday that the festivities began! Growing up there was a group of us girl cousins that were pretty close. We all lived close enough to each other that we did the church dance circuit hitting a different one each weekend--what good times! It's fun that we're all now grown up and married and many of us have our own kids. Man how 16 years can change things!Day 5 of the Trip:
Sunday was the official birthday party. We had a church like meeting as a family in the morning and then the special dinner and presentations. We all had done acts of service to total 90 and my cousin bound them in a book to give. And my dad painstakingly made a family tree representing everyone in the family as they were at the time of this reunion (he'd done one probably 25 years ago and it needed a bit of updating=))
All in all the reunion was a blast, my grandfather had the BEST DAYS!! And it was so good to be with him!!
Now for some photos!!
The traditional treasure hunt! When I was little my grandfather always led us on treasure hunts. So my Dad did one for the new generation!!
Watching fireworks in the front of the house with Grandma and Grandpa Lewis. My cousin's husbands had bought some "illegal" fireworks in Wyoming and were putting on quite the show until the Fire Marshall pulled up and told us to tone it down. But thankfully he didn't take our contraband!! One of the coolest things about this trip was watching my kids interact with my brother Aaron's kids (Grant and Sam are 6 weeks apart and Gracie and Lindz are 4 months apart
This is my dad and the man of honor just before the church meeting. It was so neat for my kids to meet their Great Grandfather--they kept asking me when they'd get to meet him and it was so great. Grandpa has his wits about him still and he knew who I was and that I had a slew of kids and he was so kind to meet them all! And to encourage me on my role as a mom!
The 4 babies! In age order nonetheless! oldest is about 10 days older than Matthew, the next about a month behind Matthew and then the youngest was only about a week old--she came early and we didn't even think she'd be born at the time of the reunion but she must have heard there was going to be a party and she didn't want to miss it!! (Notice how one of these babies looks like he's from Texas? We just grow them big here--my aunt says I must produce straight cream!!)
And finally, a family photo!! We try and take one 2 times a year, at the 4th of July and at Christmas, this is the best one of the group....there's only so much you can expect with a family of little ones!! Enjoy! (and stay tuned for part 2)
The traditional treasure hunt! When I was little my grandfather always led us on treasure hunts. So my Dad did one for the new generation!!
Watching fireworks in the front of the house with Grandma and Grandpa Lewis. My cousin's husbands had bought some "illegal" fireworks in Wyoming and were putting on quite the show until the Fire Marshall pulled up and told us to tone it down. But thankfully he didn't take our contraband!! One of the coolest things about this trip was watching my kids interact with my brother Aaron's kids (Grant and Sam are 6 weeks apart and Gracie and Lindz are 4 months apart
This is my dad and the man of honor just before the church meeting. It was so neat for my kids to meet their Great Grandfather--they kept asking me when they'd get to meet him and it was so great. Grandpa has his wits about him still and he knew who I was and that I had a slew of kids and he was so kind to meet them all! And to encourage me on my role as a mom!
The 4 babies! In age order nonetheless! oldest is about 10 days older than Matthew, the next about a month behind Matthew and then the youngest was only about a week old--she came early and we didn't even think she'd be born at the time of the reunion but she must have heard there was going to be a party and she didn't want to miss it!! (Notice how one of these babies looks like he's from Texas? We just grow them big here--my aunt says I must produce straight cream!!)
And finally, a family photo!! We try and take one 2 times a year, at the 4th of July and at Christmas, this is the best one of the group....there's only so much you can expect with a family of little ones!! Enjoy! (and stay tuned for part 2)
1 comment:
You have such a beautiful family! I thoroughly enjoyed meeting you and spending time with you at the reunion. I am so impressed by all the car activities and events you had planned all the way to Utah...and back! You have great kids!
Post a Comment