The Bakers (with 1 B): Robins Reunion

Friday, August 7, the Robins Reunion began. In the afternoon.

That morning, we took Rex and my sister-in-law Jess back to school shopping. Jess is actually cool and knows what to buy kids and how to convince them to buy cool stuff so I'm glad she came along. My parents took Henry, Alice and Jess's daughter Korey to the Thanksgiving Point Farm. My parents said Henry was crazy and tried to get into all the enclosures. I said, yes he is.

Then the Reunion started. It was at a Maple Dell Boy Scout Camp in Payson Canyon, about 45 minutes south of my parents. We decided to rent a tent for $15 rather than pack one and $15 is cheaper than the gas to American Fork and back. The Reunion was fun. And too short. I have probably mentioned this before, but I LOVE family reunions. My family is pretty amazing. They are funny, gossipy, and easy to be around. And if you get sick of talking to one person, there's like a million other people to choose from.

Once we arrived, Greg and Alice took off to fish at a nearby pond. Rex and Grandpa Brian left us too to go on a hike. I thought about going on the hike, but did't think Henry could hack it. Turns out the hike was pretty easy but Henry had fun climbing rocks and getting dirty with Korey.

Then we had dinner. It was not good. And I remembered why I always lost weight at Girls' Camp. Than another hike, this time I stuck Henry in the Ergo and he screamed if I stopped moving but Rex and Alice had fun with whichever cousin was closest. Alice formed a group with some older girls--my cousin's daughter Sophia (she's 9 or 10), and my other cousin's girls. They gave themselves a name but I forget. Rex hung out with Sophia's brothers Jacob and Jonas and my actual cousin Tyler, who is 7. Then a family gathering to hear some stories, followed by a rain storm and s'mores, a few card games and finally a late bedtime.

The next morning, my uncle Moreno rented out the lake for swimming, canoeing, or row boats. We had to pass the Boy Scout swim test to get in a boat and the water was green so I skipped that. We all tried the rock wall; Rex, Alice and Greg did some archery; and when I went to try out the ropes course I saw my 80-something year-old Grandpa at the top about to do the zipline. I didn't get to try because they weren't letting anyone else on by the time I got there.

Rex was a little nervous--even after jumping off the cliff at the Provo Rec Center

That's about as high as he got.

Alice being adorable.

That's about as high as she got.

Me--I'm actually pretty good at doing rock walls despite my newly-announced fear of heights.

Greg cheated and went even though he didn't have closed toed shoes on--he had Chaccos on and I had Toms. Which one is really safer?

Korey being adorable.

Alice being adorable.

Greg showing off

Rex being a boy.

Alice and Grandma Pattie being adorable

Alice swimming in the nasty pond water.

In the red shirt: that's Grandpa Sune. He's 80 something.

Then a disgusting lunch and some more chit chat and then time to go. Really, I didn't get to see half the people I knew and didn't get to meet any of the people I didn't (this reunion is from my great-grandparents down so there are five-generations represented at the Reunion. That's a lot of people).

Most people went home, but not us. I dropped Greg and Henry off in American Fork for naps, and picked up Amber and Autumn to head down to Moreno's ranch in Provo to ride horses. Only us, Glen, Laurie, Tyler, Noah, Leigh and Rudy were there so we got plenty of riding time. And here's the thing about Moreno's horses: they're work horses so they don't do follow this trail without the rider doing anything. He just opens up a coral and you ride where ever you want. It was fun.