Witmer Family Reunion 2016 (part one)

I have SO MANY amazing pictures from this past weekend and I will not be able to post nearly all of them.   I'm going to start with a good one!

No, we did not travel to Refreshing Mountain Camp in a VW Rabbit!!  But we did follow several of them for quite a long time on the PA turnpike, and Dick was trying all kinds of speeding up and slowing down strategies in order for me to get a good picture of them.  We have many fond and funny and terrible memories of all the VW Rabbits we had for all our teens to drive back in the day.  I can't remember ever putting our luggage on top of them, however.  (I do think that Jeremy put a sleeping bag on top of his one time and then forgot to remove it.  He thought it must have flown off somewhere along Route 283, hahaha!!) 

On Friday afternoon we drove to Sam and Jenn's place first to pick up Sammy.  Meanwhile Sam was picking up Destiny in Reading for us and we planned to meet in the Ephrata area to get her from him.  We took the turnpike from their place and about 15 minutes later my phone rang.  It was Jenn informing me that we had picked up the boy but forgotten his suitcase!!  Of course, there was no turning around and going back on the turnpike, so bless her heart, she packed up Bianca and came after us and met us at a McDonalds near Ephrata!  We got something to eat while we were there, and then went to the Turkey Hill Minit Market where we had arranged to meet Sam.  Refreshing Mountain was just 20 minutes from there. 

It was hard to greet everyone as we walked into our big meeting room in the lodge.  So many people we hadn't seen in so long!  On top of that, two of our Witmer cousins, Sheryl from Georgia and her younger sister Judy from Lititz, had stopped in to see us.  We have reconnected via FB in the past year after knowing very little of one anothers' lives for many years.  The longer we sat and talked the more we connected and reminisced and LAUGHED!!   It was just great, but they needed to leave after a while. 

Some scenes from around the room.

My brother's son Steve and his family were with us from Egypt where they have been living and working for over ten years.  They had not been with us since 2011!

Unfortunately I did not get a picture or our room before we had already messed it up!

On Saturday morning it was hot and hazy from the very beginning.  This is a picture of the lodge taken from our balcony. 

Mealtime - three times on Saturday.  And we didn't have to cook a thing or wash any dishes.  Woohoo!!

Handsome Sammy.  He managed to win everyone's heart over the course of the weekend, as he always does. 

Of course, Hunter won everyone's heart too!  Here he is with my niece Ellen, Doris's youngest. 

And with Grandma Mary.  They are the youngest and oldest family members!

The first activity was pedal carts.  Destiny is chasing down my sister Rose. 

Jeremy was chasing down Rose's daughter Olivia. 

Sammy and some of the other little ones stayed in the inner circle. 

Mary Ellen gave it a try too!

Ray was chasing down Mike. 

I took the kids for a quick dip in the pool before lunch.  It was a VERY hot day.

Destiny had fun diving.

Austin is a good swimmer. 

Just before lunch Jenn arrived with Bianca.  Sam had a home repair project that needed to be done.  I was sad he couldn't come.   Look at the curls Bianca is starting to have!

After lunch it was right back to the pool. 

Some participated in archery, including Destiny.  First time she ever tried it. 

Mary Ellen tried that too!

At 4:00 it was ropes course and zip lines.  A lot of our family participated in that.  But many of us were very content to stay on the ground and keep the little ones!   One little one completely amazed us - Austin!!  He did the ropes course and zip lines!  And with very little fear!  We were absolutely incredulous!!

Two years ago Destiny started, but became too afraid to finish, so a staff person helped her get to where she could walk back on the bridge (seen at the right of this picture.)  This time she wanted to try it again and she conquered her fears! 

There goes Austin!

Bless Lori.  When she did this two years ago she said,  "Never again!"  But she did it again for Austin's sake!   She said she was terrified the entire time!

You can see that Destiny was afraid but determined!

This was some of us on the ground awaiting their return. It was a good time just sitting and talking. 

Our uncle Lloyd, who lives nearby, came to spend time with us.  He is our mother's youngest brother and actually lived with our family when I was a very little girl.  

The last zip line brought them over a lake and to a running stop right here.  I think this is Ray.

Mealtime again!

Some of our gang.

Brother-in-law Scott had a birthday over the weekend.  Betty ordered a cool birthday cake for him. 

And then he did what he does best - entertained the kids. 

Betty was delighted to get a turn with Hunter and she walked him to sleep!

We ended the day with a fire and s'mores.  

That's all for this post.  Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to post about our wonderful Sunday together.