Savannah and I visited my family in Utah for a family reunion. I don't remember the last time I was with all my siblings at once. Jake, Sasha, and Patti came too. I haven't seen them in a year since we moved from Wisconsin. We went to my granddaughter Harmony's birthday party and it took her awhile before she realized I was related to her as a form of grandma. She really had a lot of fun getting to know Auntie Savannah though.
My mom took us to Chubby's where they had pastrami burgers and beer battered fries (surprising since this is Utah) and you guessed it, FRY SAUCE. Oh how I missed this! It was a fun little place and they had it decorated cute. It was fun to visit with her and go shopping together.
My sister Tina and her husband Kipp hosted the reunion at a cabin in Big Cottonwood Canyon. I loved the smells and the familiar summer air that the mountains bring. Sights of snow caps on the top still trickling with water as they melt. Creeks with glass clear water that had small fish swimming in them were in just about every corner of the landscape.
The mountains were such a sight for sore eyes. The last time I visited Utah I didn't at all feel homesick to return, but this past year I have been feeling it. I think it is more to be near my family than anything. That and just to go on a Sunday drive up the mountains or through Park City. I really miss re-experiencing some of my childhood. Perhaps my feelings of homesickness is that in Texas there really isn't any where you can drive to for sightseeing in an afternoon on a Sunday like you can in Wisconsin and Utah.
During the day we visited and had a BBQ - we reminisced about Dad and our memories. Got to know the younger generations better and see how they've grown. And we got A LOT lot of group pictures - some candid, some not. There were 30+ people at once so you can imagine how that went...like herding kittens! After others that had traveled left for the night we played a Telestrations game (similar to pictionary and telephone but mixed together) and Apples to Apples and laughed so hard we were turning red.
It was like old times being with Jennifer - after all we shared a bedroom together for several years growing up. She had rented a cabin nearby and we sat by the fire then watched The Others. Being with her and her family was nice, I don't get to see them nearly enough.
I spent extra time with my sister, Monica, just hanging out and being with each other. We had fun playing in the water with her granddaughter and visited Logan where we ate at the 1914 Bluebird Restaurant that had an old fashioned soda called Ironport. We went in an antique store and saw a lot of things from our childhood like the Sears Wish Book catalog we'd spend hours as kids wishing about Christmas. (Does this mean we are officially old?) Then we went to the movies to see The Lion King. We had planned to get ice cream at Aggies Ice Cream on the Utah State University campus but we were already so full that day from lunch that when we ordered what we thought was a regular sized ice cream cone you can imagine our eyes when we found out our "regular" sized cone was so humongous! We were soooo stuffed!
My brothers haven't changed much other than a little less hair (he he). They are still funny and I love their personalities. Marty, who is just a couple years older than me, I haven't seen for at least 10 years. I really like it when we are all together. It brings back a lot from my childhood with feelings of completeness. I only wish Charlie could have came too.
Until next time. I really could have spent another week there and if I had maybe I'd not come back LOL! Here are some of my favorite photos...
Harmony Love
Piggy backs!
Me and Jennifer
Top Left to Right: John, Marty, Monica, Matt, Tina
Bottom Left to Right: Me, Mom, Jennifer
Group photo
See this water!
Ha ha! this one is hilarious! Monica is the only one that got it right!
Love the tall trees. And the sky. And the jet stream. And the moon. And the blue. And the green. One tree looks like it has aged. Kind of like a family photo, right?
Rocky landscapes fill your eyes with wonder, don't they?
Outside of the Bluebird Cafe "since 1914" the sign says
Inside the Bluebird Cafe where they had the soda fountains.
Me, Savannah, and Monica being super silly!
