We spent the last week of our trip at the Park City Anderson/Harris Family Reunion. It is hard to even write down what a wonderful time we had....but I want to try to capture some of the memories of an incredible week spent together.
Our reunion actually began in Provo....Grandma Patsy had just retired as an elementary school principal. One of her dreams was to have a picture taken of all of her grandchildren (26 total- 14 Andersons and 12 Harrises) in a classroom each sitting at a desk. I can't wait to see the professional photos, but I couldn't help but snap a few shots with my camera. The kids all looked so cute....ranging from tiny babies in car seats to big teenage boys who scarcely fit in the chairs! This will be such a precious keepsake!
Where we stayed:
We stayed at the beautiful Marriott Mountainside Resort...the setting was absolutely gorgeous. I couldn't get enough of the surroundings. The resort is nestled right at the base of a huge mountain.
We had 5 condos, and our family was lucky enough to share with the George family. So fun! And they were good to put up with our big family of 7! It was great to be able to be together at all hours of the day and just enjoy each other. All the condos were in one wing, and we all loved wandering from condo to condo to visit.
What we ate:
Meal time with that big of a group (42 members) was crazy but fun! Each family was on their own for breakfast and then teamed up with another family to cook one evening meal. Dad and Pat provided the lunches. The meals were fabulous! We dined on lasagna, BBQ chicken sandwiches, pizza, and Cafe Rio pork (our night!). A few times we ate outside by the pool, other times we crammed into the condos.
Sometimes the meals were accompanied by wrestling matches:
Or birthday celebrations:
Here we are by the pool eating lunch:
And one day we went on a picnic at a local park:
What we did:
There were so many fun things to do in Park City- we stayed very busy and there was something for everyone! We loved riding the Alpine Slide! We used to do that when I was growing up, so it was fun to share it with my family. Ashton and Jordan got to ride alone, while Tod and I took the little kids. Baby Luke stayed at the bottom with other family members.
On our last day there, we had to squeeze in just one more ride!
We did some hiking, but I have to admit with my ages of kids we pooped out kind of early- Ashton and Regan did make it all the way with the older kids. I have to keep remembering that someday, hiking will be easier! We still had fun hanging back with others who had "littles".
Of course, when there is the option of swimming, my kids don't really need anything else to do. They were in the pool all hours of the day, several times a day! My sisters were good sports to swim with the little kids!
One evening, almost everyone swam, including Grandma and Grandpa and had so much fun- chicken fights, diving, etc.
One afternoon, the girls in the family got a special treat....Grandma Patsy took us all to high tea at the Grand America hotel. It was such an unforgettable experience and we will treasure the memories of that day together.
Everything was so beautiful and fancy...even the bathrooms were amazing with wall to wall marble!
The girls tried so hard to be lady-like and well-mannered...but you they had to break lose a few times....
In the courtyard, after our tea:
While we were gone, the dads were left to take care of all of the children under age 8...I wish I had some pictures...Tod took a group of preschoolers/babies to Burgur King, mini-golfing and on the carnival rides...I say that is a brave man!
There were several other fun group activities- The Mock Trial (held in Uncle Ryan's courtroom)- I don't have pictures because I stayed back with babies, but the girls absolutely loved it and have talked a lot about it!
Uncle Kyle and Aunt Emily put on a fabulous Fear Factor contest one night- I was impressed with all the daring eaters we have in the family and slightly disappointed that non of my kids even made it past the first round!!!! I think we need to work on sampling new foods and tastes!
Look at these unsure faces....
This is the round I went out on...I just couldn't eat that squid that Savannah was holding...maybe for a million dollars!!
We also had a family talent show....Ashton played her violin and Regan danced:
Jordan wanted to demonstrate her softball pitching...so scary in a hotel lobby...I prayed for accuracy..and she really stepped up and did well! Amazingly, no damage done!
What we will remember:
There were many, many things that I didn't get pictures of....but mainly the highlight was just being together. It is such a treat for all of us!!! Every night we would stay up so late talking and laughing- I would be so tired but I just couldn't go to bed...we kept saying, we have the whole Iowa winter to go to bed early, so we are not going to worry about that right now! Seeing all the cousins together and having so much fun was so priceless.
I am so thankful to my dad and Pat for planning something like this and really making it happen. I am thankful for all of the families who cleared their calendars, traveled from near and far and made it a priority to come for this week. Park City 2013!!!!
(This little guys was such a gem for the entire trip!!!)
