The Roberts Reunion

We meandered home from the Robins Reunion on Saturday, did some laundry, chatted with some more family and went to bed.

Sunday (the 9th) was 9 am church, quick re-packing, even faster lunch and semi-quiet drive to Albion, Idaho.  That is until Rex just couldn't hold his pee any more and we had to stop thus waking Henry and Alice.  Henry cried the last hour to Idaho.

This year the reunion was in a restored dormitory for a normal school (teaching college).  We had the whole campus to ourselves--pool, hot tub, two play structures, bikes, stage, sand volleyball, lots and lots of lawn.  I hardly saw my kids.  It was glorious.  Not that I didn't see my kids; I actually really like my kids and I like hanging out with them, but I also like that they have some many cousins that they can run around having a great time for four days, so much fun that they don't look for me.  

Play structure #1

Rex being silly

Henry LOVED this bikes and was either being pushed or was pushing one most of the Reuion.

Found the boys in a giant bean bag in the game room one day

My sister brought her inflatable slide, which the little kids enjoyed.

Rather than a play-by-play, I'll leave you with a few highlights:

1. Cleveland Lake.  The end.  Seriously the most beautiful place on the planet.  There were wild flowers.  Real wild flowers that grew in the wild.  Not wild flowers that someone planted to be pretty, which is cool, but flowers that grew wildly of their own accord.  It was unreally beautiful.

Henry feel asleep on the way back. 

Alice refused to walk down the mountain.  Noah was nice enough to give her a lift.

All the Robins on the hike

I mean, really, magical.

All the kids picked huge bouquets of wild flowers.

2. Fishing.  I didn't go fishing, but Greg sneaked in a few hours here and there.  At Cleveland Lake, because it is so beautiful.

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3. Alice in her kingdom.  The second floor had an enclosed porch.  Alice lived there for the four days we were in Idaho.  My niece brought her clippy girls and Alice and Autumn and which ever other little girls were around at the time sequestered themselves to this porch and played for hours.  

Alice and Autumn hiding out.

She even played by herself.  She did not leave that room from breakfast until dinner.

Alice thought this was pretty funny.

4. Rock climbing.  Although I recently revealed my long-standing fear of heights (I tried hiding this from even myself for years, but just recently came clean when I realized that all the things I don't like--roller coasters mostly--are just too high for me), I still like rock climbing and I'm pretty good.  I just don't look down.  Rex even gave it a try.  He also did not get too high, but Greg and I are thinking of buying some ropes, and harnesses, and shoes, and carabiner, and...ok that's a lot of gear but maybe one day. Alice and Autumn had a good time bouldering with Grandpa Brian, while Henry was hot, tired, and sweaty and mostly just cried.  

  

I'm pretty sure this is me.

 Greg is the little blue dot.

 Rex giving it a try.

Alice and Henry doing some bouldering.

Henry taking a break from crying to eat.

Me again?

 Henry giving the whole rock climbing thing a try

Alice got very dirty.

5. Boating.  I am also good at water sports.  Man I'm awesome.  Or at least I used to be.  It's been a while, but my cousin Phil brought his boat so I signed the older kids and me up for a 2-hour session with my brother and his family.  I got up on the knee board the first time.  I really wanted to try the wake board, but we didn't have time.  

Getting ready for the tub.  I thought they'd be scared but they were asking to go faster!

Rex really surprised me by asking if he could try the knee board.  He got up on his second try.  I was impressed.

Alice being adorable

Rex didn't even complain a little about having to wear my cousin's daughter's YELLOW and pink life jacket.

6. Haunted house tour.  The other 4 buildings on the campus were boarded up but we all ponied up $1 to have a guided tour.  It was interesting.  The first building was just history, but the last three were decorated for the Albion Haunted House in October.  The third was the worst.  It had a flat roof that had caved in so birds had gotten in to the building and made a mess of the place.  And then somehow my aunt Traci and few others of us got separated from the rest of the group and Traci freaked out and tried to act like she was in control but she's also legitimately afraid of werewolves so it was pretty hilarious yet a little disconcerting at the same time because I was stuck in a poo-covered building with my 3-year-old daughter and semi-hysterical aunt.  I nearly wet myself from laughing, and freight.  We eventually found the exit.

7.  All other things family.  Every reunion, my mom puts on a dance contest and the Brian and Pattie clan win every time.  Truth be told, "we're all winners" according to Grandma, but we know who really won.  We also play a lot of cards.  Greg gets super into it and little competitive and upset and the Noah bets him or says something to diffuse the situations.  They always buy waaaayyy too much food.  I think my aunt bought at least 100 boxes of cereal for four days.  My kids were in sugar heaven.  There's a good reason I'm one of the few who can claim, I haven't missed a reunion--because I just love them.  I really do.

We made Preston do all the crappy stuff since he's the newest member of the family.

Empty seats just waiting of the dance competition

Getting 2nd or 3rd or 4th so something like that at Thump-Thump.  I'm pretty sure I beat Greg though.

Yes, we are all wearing the same shirt.

We left Thursday late-morning, stopped by a senior missionary couple who have served in our ward almost as long as we lived there, took a quick photo op at the Brigham City temple, and got home in time for naps and the beginning of the wedding.  That's part 5 or whatever part we're on.  It was a long vacation.

Brigham City Temple