This is my family....
and I love each and everyone of them....
Our small group of 57 met up at our cabin on Bill's Island in Island Park Idaho. Yes, that would be 57--which is why this year we had to rent an extra cabin down the road to house our very large group. Everyone was able to make it except for Sharon and Thad (just had a new baby) Uncle Mike, and Elder Alex Crowley who is currently serving in the Bangkok Thailand Mission. We missed you all very much!
This reunion was very special right from the start. .
Mom and Dad were scheduled to leave for their mission the last day of the reunion and it was a small miracle and blessing that their stake president just happened to be vacationing in the area and could come over to the cabin to set them apart.
I am sure that it wasn't by chance that we could all be together for this occasion. It was wonderful to be able to support and honor them.
Are those beautiful kids or what?
Aunt Joanne and Uncle Ray just happened to be in the area too and came by too....
It is the Gospel of Jesus Christ that makes our family so happy....so strong...so able to endure adversity and it makes our time together so meaningful.
Later we played in the water........
Hung out on the dock......
We did some boating....
..some jet skiing...
I love it that we can gather in such a beautiful place...
This area has really found a place in our hearts...
We ate a lot of good food....
and squeezed in as much talk and laughter as possible...
These kids didn't have fun at all......
Everyone enjoyed some hot tub time...
We made some cool 4th of July T-shirts.
And our reunions would never be complete without our traditional campfire.
Every family whooped it up with a family cheer.
And every family shared a skit.
This is the troll in the Three Billy Goats Gruff. I wish I had taken more pictures of everyone's skits. They were all GREAT!
We ended the night with a surprise birthday party for my bro Steve...who had just reached a very important landmark... 50! Richard put together a slide show and fun presentation. Words were shared. There were a few tears...and lots of laughter. I adore these people!!!!!!!!
The next morning, We were up early getting ready for the Bills Island 4th of July Parade. The float turned out so cute and the little kids had the time of their lives!
Uncle Ryan was awesome for driving the float oh and for bringing the trailer!!
Thanks so much!!
Oh yeah, those kids had a great time. The parade gets bigger every year and everyone loves it. We love Bills Island..what a fun community.
Next, we had a flag ceremony. Aaron did a magnificent job. Besides the fact that he is one of the nicest people I know, He is also an Iraq war veteran. We are very proud of him.
Aaron asked a boy from each family to represent one of the ranks in the scouting program from Cub scouts to Eagle Scout.
He also put together a special presentation to honor the Boy Scouts of America on their 100th anniversary. It was just great!
Next we played a bunch of great games! Every family brought at least one to share.
Dad checked out for awhile...ahhhh...
We opened up this gift from Sharon who couldn't come. She is so thoughtful and we wore these socks all day to help us feel she was there in spirit with us. WE love you Sharon!! And the whole Call family.
A few more pictures of the day...
Those shirts turned out so cute... :)
Don't you just want to eat this boy up? Is he a cutie or what?
In the evening, we went to the Bills Island Dutch Oven Dinner. Bills Island Association makes the most delectable delicious Dutch Oven Dinner complete with the main course, the most delicious potatoes on the planet, amazing green beans and a fabulous dessert. Everyone else brings salads or side dishes to share.... It is such fun and the food is amazing!
This kiddos tried to get in as much hot tubbing time as possible...
Tried to do some of this.....
and this...
Thanks to Steve for setting up the sound system... it was awesome.
We had a great time!!
We learned the Virginia Reel...and really whooped it up!
And Billy Bob and Sally Sue dropped in for a visit!!! They are regular old celebrities around here and have been comin' on by to our reunions to say hello for years now. Everyone was so excited to see them.
There's a certain little problem with their orthodontia ..but we love em anyways.
Crowley Cousin Hug....
Then off we went to watch a fireworks show in the GORGEOUS place.
We ended the day with more fun....
Ok..that is a lot of shoes....
Movies.....
The next day we gathered at 10:30 for a bit of family time before church which started at 1 pm. After our "opening exercises" we split into three groups for little classes...
The primary age children went on a nature walk, talking about how Heavenly Father has given us this beautiful earth and that He loves us...
A big thank you to Christine and Caryn for heading this head....I love you both.. Thanks so much.
I can't resist posting all of these pictures...such darling kids.
A big thank you to Evan and Tonya and Danae for heading up the young adult/teen class on the "For the Strength of Youth," guide and how to live those standards and stay pure in this increasingly crazy world.
And the adults discussed how to stay connected as a family through technology and also how to make the scriptures and scripture study a more meaningful part of our daily family lives.
We took a few photos before heading off to church.
Grandma and Grandpa surrounded by their beautiful grandchildren.
Church was just wonderful...always is at Island Park. A few thousand "visitors" show up to worship together. They only hold sacrament meeting due to the size of the group and skip the three hour block. It was Fast and Testimony meeting and several people in the family bore their testimonies including Scotty...for the first time. It was a great meeting.
After church we had a few really hungry boys who were more than ready to eat hanging around waiting....for dinner to start.
I can just imagine what Jonathan is thinking..."Is Dinner ready yet?"
A big thanks to Caryn and Brian for putting together this Hawaiian Dinner. We had it at the last reunion and it was back by popular demand. Everyone loved it. Caryn and Brian live right near BYU Hawaii and both teach there.
Brothers.... Brothers..... these two never stopped messin with each other the whole time. :) and everyone loved it.
Just two of my beautiful sisters...
Don't you love how her hair matches the wood? Beauty.......
To close our reunion, we had a "farewell" for our parents who would leave in the morning for their mission. They will be serving in the Washington DC Visitors Center, in the Washington DC North Mission and will be gone for 18 months. We paused to honor them, talk about their mission, sing, and give them a chance to say a few words.
It was a special night.... the spirit was very strong..there was a lot of love expressed..
Love those heart to heart talks....
And we sent these two wonderful people, Mom and Dad off with love and our complete blessing. They were up at 4:15 am the next morning and left at 5 am for Provo Utah Missionary Training Center. We sent them off with a hurrah!
What a wonderful reunion.....blessed with something extra special from start to finish...
There were many special moments...we reconnected...made some great memories...grew in our love for each other.
I loved putting this reunion together with my sister Lynette. It was fun working with her and I wish we had some kind of "project" to work on together on a regular basis.
And, being in charge is so AHHH-mazing when you work with this great bunch of people. We made assignments and everyone put their whole hearts into whatever they were asked to do.....Thanks everyone... love you.
