2014 Witmer Weekend - Part Two

Okay.  Time to finish up this story about the Witmer weekend!  I know I post way more detail and pictures than most readers have the interest and time for, but as I say many times, I do this primarily for myself.  I love to write, and I love to reminisce.  So my method of blogging serves both purposes.  I was listening to Chuck Swindoll on the drive home Monday morning.  He was talking about the stones that God told the Israelites to pile up as a remembrance before crossing the Jordan River.  Chuck said,  "If you don't take time to make a memorial, you WILL forget."  This blog is my memorial.

On Saturday afternoon we left the pool earlier than we might have, because we had an important date at the zipline and high ropes course.  Some of us did it and the rest of us watched.  Trust me, I was on the ground watching!  Ones like Ray and Jeremy acted like walking on ropes and logs high up in the air is something they do every day.  Others were outrageously scared and wished they had never decided to do it.  But the people working it were so very helpful.  At one point when Destiny absolutely froze and started to cry, he went to the log where she stood and had her look straight ahead at him as he walked BACKWARD and she followed him across!

I overheard Aiden (in orange) and Austin, each of whom had a mommy up on those high ropes, having a discussion that often included, "Well, MY mommy……"   Hahaha!

The rest of the day was much less thrilling, but very relaxing.

On Sunday after breakfast we gathered in our big room for our worship service.  We started out with Uncle Scott singing with the kids, then did quite a bit of a cappella group singing, a few Witmer Trio songs with guitar, a lot of sharing, complete with laughter and tears, and prayer.

I just love that the teens, including Destiny, who probably never sing choral a cappella music anywhere else, get a chance to do it in this setting.  We've been doing this every year as long as they can remember, and it's what we do!

After that we had lunch, took more pictures, hung around, some went to the pool again, and gradually we all left.  But some of us were not finished yet.  We had some girl time planned!  

Ray took Bjorn back to Fred and Deb Stauffer's near Manheim where he lives.  Dick took Destiny home to Reading.  I took Sammy home.  Of course I told them how he had charmed everyone all weekend long and had been completely cooperative and pleasant the whole time.  Later I found out that he turned into a little holy terror for them after he got home.  Oh dear.  Isn't that just the way kids are?  They put on such a good show for everyone else, and then they come home and let all that pent up badness come out!

We sisters, minus Rose who was already on her way back home to Georgia with her family, plus my brother's wife Nancy, plus my sister Barb's daughter Andrea from Arizona, all got together Sunday evening at Doris's lovely screened-in porch.  We had such a wonderful, relaxing, fun time together.

Here's one with niece Andrea in the picture.

We went our separate ways for the night - Betty and her family slept at Dick and Nancy's, Barb and Andrea slept at Mary Ellen's, I slept at Sam and Jenn's.  

I slept SO good that night.  It was the first night since Tuesday that I was not responsible for any little people overnight!  I drove home Monday morning and hit the ground RUNNING!!  I had so much to do at all my jobs this week, thus these very delayed posts.

And I'm not finished yet.  I'm going to do one more post with individual family pictures and introductions, and many more random, fun shots from the weekend.