PARK FAMILY REUNION 2013- DUBOIS, WY.






We just returned from the Park Family Reunion. It originated with Albert and Mary Park, my grandparents. It is held every two yeas and this year, we gathered in DuBois, Wyoming.

 One thing we will always remember about DuBois was the wonderful pavilion where we were all able to gather each day. That-and the near perfect weather- and, of course the best part of every reunion-being with family members we haven't seen for a long time.

The pavilion was within easy walking distance to our motel rooms, travel trailers and tents. It was also right next to a fun playground for the kids.       Kylie and Sadie loved getting to know their cousin, Rich. No reunion is complete without at least one of the Mervin boys.     Here's Uncle Bill. He is the greatest uncle in the universe.   A fun walk to the river to watch the grandkids swim.   Vanessa and Cynthia-looking beautiful as ever!    This was most of our group. There were at least five I can think of that are not in the picture, but even with them, you can see that the group was quite small for a reunion spanning 6 generations. Concerns were voiced about this and we hope to be able to come up wth some ideas to get more out to the 2015 reunion. One plan is to announce the date early! If all goes well, it will be the 23-24-25-26 of July (1st choice) or the 16-17-18-19 of July (2nd choice)...probably somewhere in Idaho, depending on what the Williams family is able to find. There is something almost magical about family ties. They are able to expand and contract to fit a muliplicity of age groups and personality types, comfortably including us all. I thoroughly enjoyed myself at this year's reunion and am grateful to have a husband who thinks of my family as his. I loved watching my granddaughters interact with their "dozens of cousins" and only regret that I did not ask Babz to bring Lexi and Tori. I loved visiting with aunts, uncles and cousins, and I especially loved being with mom and dad. I missed those that have passed on, but I am confident that there will one day be a glorious reunion to include us all. We are FAMILY!   

Trip to Lewiston-A class reunion and some wonderful memories with Mom and Dad

Mike and I traveled to Lewiston this month, for my 40 year class reunion.

 

  

This is me, with two of my former classmates...Louise and I have stayed best of friends for all these years.  Our husbands get along great, too, which makes it even sweeter.  Ron and I were also good friends and I really enjoyed getting to know his wife at this reunion.

 

 

 

We had such a good time with mom and dad.  My favorite day was a trip up above Elk River to see the giant cedar trees...Dad says they've been there for centuries. 

 My favorite picture!

 

 

 Who knew this was only a two hour drive from Lewiston?!

 

 

 It was hard work holding up that big old cedar tree, but we did it!

 

 

 Here a picture of my sweetheart.  I am so glad he took his camera on this trip!

 

 

Someone needs to teach me how to photoshop the tree limb out of Dad's face, because I really LOVE this picture!

 

 

I am going to try and talk mom and dad into getting high speed, wireless internet. I just loaded 25 pictures from this trip, onto facebook , and they can't even enjoy them. I'm afraid that the six pictures I am posting on this blog may be too much for their computer to handle.  Dad says he is having a hard time keeping up with his grandkids, because it takes so long for the pictures to load on their blogs that he sometimes just has to give up.  Facebook would be such a treat for him, but right now, is totally out of the question. 

What do you think?  Maybe  we will just have to take matters into our own hands...

 

Sadie's Baptism

Here's our beautiful Sadie, getting ready to be baptised.

 



We were so glad that the South cousins could come!

 



Love this sweet family!

 



Beautiful Mother-Daughter picture!

 



She has a smile that never stops.

 



...and a special glow that comes from the Holy Ghost.

 



I am so lucky to be her grandmother!

 



Russ got to baptise her.

Congratulations, Sadie!

Vernal visitors: Carr and Holfeltz families

 

Jason and Sasha came to visit us in March, to escape the frozen tundra up north in Vernal.  TJ couldn't come because he had school, but the Holfeltz family came down with them.  It was fun to visit, and to let new people try out the slide.  (I thought we had pictures, but I can't find any. But, take my word on it...those kids enjoyed that slide!)

 

We also made it to the first weekend for the Tuacahn market, and had to take pictures of the upcoming attractions.  Jason has his head in the clouds.

 Here's Melissa and Will.  I don't know what was going on with the guys.  They couldn't quite figure out those head holes.

 

Mike figured it out, but I'm looking a little loopy...

 

Leave it to the kids to show us how it should be done!

 

 

I think Sasha looks especially gorgeous in this picture. 

 

 

We also visited the temple grounds and visitors' center.  What's with our pregnant mama being the one to climb all those stairs?!

 

 Jason and Tayor had more fun at the bottom.

 

 Looks like a pretty serious conversation going on here.

 

We had the South girls with us one night and they all crowded around the table for a picture. 

It was a fun little visit. 

Ripsticks

 This is a ripstick.  Kylie got one for Christmas last year.  I think Santa paid his elves about $80 to build it. A couple months later, Sadie found the exact same model at a yard sale.  She got hers for around $10.  (Someone's overpaying the elves!)

 

 With its cement slopes, our backyard is the perfect place to ride one.

 

 But it does take some practice, learning how.

 

 After they both had it mastered, they put on a show for me.

 

I have decided to keep my eyes closed when they are rip-sticking!

Sadie's Birthday

Sadie turned 8 in February.

 

 Her mom threw her quite the birthday party, with a cool cake that was sooo delicious!

 

She got to invite ten friends to a fun place in St. George called Antigravity.

 

 

 I'm glad I let her take my camera because she took some amazing pictures!

 

 ...like this one...

 

 ...and this one...

 

 ...and this one...what a cutie!

 

 Aspen and I spent much of the time chatting away as the kids entertained themselves.

 The place has fun stuff for all ages.

 

 They set up a private room for cake and ice cream and soda. 

 

 

 Apsen kept everything moving along smoothly.

 

 Sadie got some fun gifts.

 

 I think she made some great memories!

Tyler Mickal Merrell

A few weeks ago, we went to Salt Lake for Tyler's baby blessing.  We also got to see Vince and Meagan's new home in Herriman, visited with some old friends, got to see a lot of our family and lots of Meagan's family that we hadn't seen for a long time, and traveled snowy, icy roads...something else we hadn't seen for at least a couple of years.  I'm not sure exactly why, but I did not take a whole lot of pictures.  Maybe it was the cold, or the fact that I still had the remants of my own cold.  Whatever the reason, I'm okay with it, because I did  get pictures of the most important person of the day. 

 

 Isn't he handsome in his little blessing outfit?

 

 



I like this one, too, but cannot figure out how to turn it horizontal. Tyler is such a good baby.  He hardly ever fusses and has the biggest grin, just like Vince's when he was that age.

 And, of course, big sister needs to be included!

 

 

Here's Brooke again, with another granddaughter, in an uncharacteristically bad mood. I guess we're all entitled to an occassional off day, Taylor. 

 

 

And I had to take a picture of this little piano that Wendy found at a yard sale.  It has all the bells and whistles of a fancy keyboard.  The kids all loved it, especially Ramsi.  That's her with her back to the camera.  It's the perfect  gift for grandparents to give to their grandchildren.  Seriously!


So, even though there are no pictures of the beautiful new home, or of the Bodreros, the Hadlocks, the Battys, the Squires, the Carrs (well, there was a picture of them, but Sasha will thank me for not including it) or any of that snow, it was still a memorable trip, well worth recording.