But before I get into that, here's a picture from my front yard yesterday. Remember when I asked what those big things were between my hosta plants? Well, I still don't know what they are, but they now have white flowers. Our rose bush is starting to get its second "crop" of roses.
Friday (13th)
Last Friday I was all packed up and on the road shortly after 12:30. My first stop was to pick up Bianca from her other grandma's house. Sammy was going to a concert with his aunt and cousin that evening, so he would not be joining us till the next day.
Bianca and I then headed to Reading to pick up Destiny. We went to Subway for our dinner. Destiny and I laughed when we realized that we both still get the same turkey bacon subs that we used to always get at the Manheim Subway when she was little!
And then we found our way to Refreshing Mountain Camp, which is somewhere in the mountains between Ephrata and Lebanon! Even though I've been there quite a few times, I'm not at all sure I would be able to find it without GPS!
It was so exciting to arrive at this place we love so much, knowing we would be with people that we love so much!! Walking into our big meeting room in the lodge is loud and crazy and you have no idea who to hug and talk to first!!
Some of us quickly decided to go to the playground. There were many other groups at the camp besides our family.
Destiny and Bianca climbed up the treehouse.
This was the view of our lodge through the trees as we walked back to it.
Checking out our room.
The rest of the evening was spent in the big meeting room as more and more family members gradually arrived. Dick worked until 5:30 and arrived around 9:00. Anthony and Lori and the boys came sometime after that. Family members came from Arizona, Idaho, Georgia, New Hampshire, and of course, Pennsylvania. I think we had a total of around 45 people this weekend, and that's probably less than half of the family!
We brought along that crazy puzzle that has no straight edges. Destiny and Olivia were ready to get it started.
By midnight I think everyone headed to their rooms for the night. Thankfully breakfast would not be served until 9:00.
Saturday (14th)
The dining room is in another building and is huge. They served a lot of groups at once. Our family had two long tables right in the middle of it.
This cracks me up! Hunter's new "smile" face and Bianca's "you can't make me smile" face!!
Destiny had the good idea of taking a picture of our schedule with her phone, so a bunch of us shared this picture with each other so we could easily keep track of where we were supposed to be at what time.
At 11:00 we met below the playground for the Physical Challenge Course. It actually was a whole series of things to do in groups. Some of them were funny, some of them were for the very spry and physically fit. But for everyone, whether watching or participating, it was a lot of fun. It was also getting very, very hot!
Skipping in groups of three!
Kicking a ball the whole way around the playground.
Leapfrog and push ups.
Covering up a rope with bodies.
I think these guys were supposed to be a human wheel chair. At least the rider was really light!
This was most of our physical challenge crew.
Jenn brought Sammy while we were watching. She was not able to stay because she had lots to do before leaving on a work trip to Colorado the next day. The kids were getting really thirsty and thankfully there was a shop at the nearby pool where we could buy water.
Next on the schedule for some of our group was the ropes course. They now have three levels! Our group signed up for the bottom two levels. They had done the high ones other years, but they all seemed to agree that these lower levels were actually more difficult! Every year Lori says "Never again!" I think maybe she meant it this time, haha!
Destiny smiling at the beginning of the course.
Still smiling!
Not smiling anymore!
Here are two fantastic pictures that my sister-in-law Nancy took.
Destiny.
Austin and Lori.
While I was watching this, Uncle Bob took some of the younger kids, including Sammy and Bianca, to see the reptiles.
Yikes! I hope I made the kids wash their hands before lunch!! I don't remember!
Lunch time at 1:00. We were READY!
Then pool time!
Sammy actually liked this better than being in the water.
Yummy ice cream afterwards.
I think Dick and the kids went to a pond after that. I never did see the pond. I went to the area where some of our group was doing paintball target shooting. I was going to follow Destiny to watch her, but when I realized it meant that I would be walking up a hill on a rough trail in my sandals, I copped out.
Then Ray showed up while I was waiting for the paintball crew!! Straight from Navy Reserve drill! He got right into the paintball target shooting too. I don't know how he could stand it in that hot uniform. I am respecting his request to not post a picture. )-:
But Ray did make heads turn when we walked into the dining hall for dinner afterward! I loved that he wanted to come and see everyone. He so enjoyed being with us the other two times our family reunion was at Refreshing Mountain.
After dinner we gathered the crew for a group picture. Of course it takes forever to arrange everyone. What we didn't know was that my brother was taking a video while we were in the process. It was hilarious to watch afterward!
We were so glad that Grandma Mary was able to be with us for the day! Her love and humor is as alive and well as ever!
Nancy got this cute shot of Sammy and Bianca waiting for everyone to assemble. Sammy is such a poser, hahahaha!
Later we had a campfire and s'mores. Tons of fun and laughter.
The kids had fun catching fireflies.
Destiny was not staying for the second night, so we said our goodbyes and Dick took her home. I just love that she loves to be with our extended families so much and really did not want to miss this.
I gave Sammy and Bianca baths then, and they were a couple of exhausted little munchkins when I tucked them in.
Sunday (15th)
On Sunday morning we again had the drill of getting everything out of our rooms before breakfast. It wasn't so bad this year because our breakfast was at 9 instead of 8 like other years.
After breakfast we started getting our meeting room set up for our worship service while keeping little people occupied!
Sammy and I look like a "group" ready to lead worship, hahaha!
We started out with group singing, then a children's story with Doris's daughter-in-law Christy. She even had an activity for them to do at a side table while we had our sharing time.
Lori also kept some of the kids busy during our sharing time.
Anthony took this video of us singing our "Mennonite Anthem" - otherwise known as 606 (the number in the hymnal) and also as Festival Doxology. Four part harmony is becoming less and less common in our family group, but I'm determined to keep this song going as long as we possibly can! The younger generation of in-laws love to make jokes about it, but they do love singing it!
After our service was over it was picture time! First of all, the seven siblings in age order. If Janet were still here on this earth she would have been first. Our brother Dick was second-born.
Dick, Mary Ellen, Jean, Doris, Barb, Betty, Rose.
Next, our children who were present. (Plus a couple of little photo bombers!) Also in age order.
Doris's Kim, my Anthony, Doris's Marcy (seated), Barb's Andrea, Doris's Corey, Barb's Jill, Doris's Gina and Greta (twins), Doris's Ellen, Betty's Merida and Isaiah, Rose's Olivia. Seventeen of our children were missing!
And then our grandchildren who were present. Plus a few dads who had to keep their toddlers from running away! The oldest grandchild present (on the left) was Doris's Andrew holding the youngest grandchild present, Doris's Toby. Many, many more grandchildren were missing.
There was still some extra time to kill before our 1:00 lunch and it was raining outside, so Uncle Scott saved the day, entertaining the kids.
Then we went to the dining hall for one last meal. We all agree that we could cook much better meals ourselves, but WE ARE SO GLAD WE DON'T HAVE TO!!!! And we are also really, really glad to let someone else clean up the dishes for us!
Then we had to get everything cleaned out of our meeting room. Destiny wanted us to take one last picture of the puzzle for her before we had to break it apart. Maybe someday it will get completed!
It was hard to say good bye. We stood around and chatted outside, took a few more pictures, hugged and laughed and almost cried. Why do these weekends go by so quickly??
Here's a last picture I took of Sammy and Bianca with Barb's grandson Cooper.
And then we all hit the road. Dick and I and the kids went to Sam's. He was already off work since mail on Sundays is just Amazon deliveries. Dick took a nap and later hit the road for home. I, however, was staying for a few days! But that's going to be another post. This one is already the longest one ever!!!
