Days 6 & 7

We went to the Belnap family reunion on Saturday and Sunday.  That was the whole reason we were in McCall in the first place.  It was so good to see some of the cousins that I haven't seen in 6 or 7 years.  I loved that we could all get together and pick up right where we left off.  We keep up a family letter, so I even know what most of them are doing with their lives.  I hope my kids cherish their cousins, as they get older, like I do mine.
At the reunion, my aunt had set up a spa.  Allie got all glamorous with make up and nails.  Jake decided he wasn't too manly for the spa when he discovered gel that dyed his hair blue.  Nate is very comfortable with his manhood because he loves getting his "finga nails" and toenails painted and it's still on to this day.

 Even Jason got blue hair...you just can't tell from the picture.

Can you tell she did her own make-up?  My only advise would be to lay off the blush next time.  I kept looking over at her and worrying that something had happened to her face. :)

The only picture I have from the later part of the reunion is one of the marshmallow war.  Jake was looking forward to this all week.  He loved chucking marshmallows at his cousins.
They had a talent show too and Jake was part of a little skit with some other boys.  Allie went up there and did her creepy eye thing.  If you got applause, you could pick out a prize.  Allie came home with a little tennis game, and Jake got a rubber band gun.  Nate was applauded as I walked through the group to go change a smelly bum and said that Nate's talent was stinking out a room and that he does it several times a day.  He got to pick out a green ball.  They were pretty excited about it all.

We had to pack up to leave on Sunday.  We joined the Belnaps for a testimony meeting that morning and then hit the road for a long drive home.
Here we are in our number shirts.  Sam 44, Jason 62, Nate 50, Allie 30, Jake 25, me 8, Mike 8A

Mom's family minus Steve and Alana who had to leave early that morning, and Lori's family.  We missed them all week.

The family is getting so big we don't even fit in my camera...
 
I come from good stock.  My kids come from good stock.  I am so grateful for this family of mine.  I look at that picture and it seems like such a big crowd.  I'm grateful to say that I know and love each one of them.  We miss the ones that aren't there.
A highlight of the Sunday for me was when Heather (number blue 27 on the front row) got her Personal Progress award.  All of us participated in some way to do a goal or project so we could earn the award for her.  They gave her my grandma's necklace and a scrap book with all of the write ups of our goals and projects.  It was pretty neat.  My little family did Faith value #1.  We read scriptures about Faith for FHE and then chose a few people to focus our prayers on and talked about faith as we prayed for them over a few months time.  I feel like we were able to see miracles from our faith and our family grew from that experience.

We took off and made good time all the way home.  The kids were tired and slept some of the way.  That's always nice.
We got home and back to life.  It was a really fun break for a week and we were so lucky to be able to go.  Now we wait until next year...