Preperations -Family Reunion Part 1

(Originally I didn't write anything about where I've been because everyone who reads this (my family) has been with me! Then I thought perhaps I should say SOMETHING... for the 3 people who read it outside of my immediate family, of which 1 forgot where I'd be)

I've been gone for the Family Reunion for those of u who noticed my lack of posts. I thought I might post intermittently while I was gone but that didn't happen. Surprise surprise. I don't let ANYTHING interfere with family time.

So... I decided to break the posts up a bit so I could do each day full justice.

"Oh joy!" I say.

"Oh joy" u say.

First of all, there were all the preparations. I will spare u the trials of packing my car and the bird and instead head straight to the fun times I had with Emily after arriving Friday evening.

We shopped at Costco.

Shopping involved many phone calls. Who's doing the plates, cups, and silverware? Will there be enough bedding? How about pots and pans? Mother, do u need us to buy u tortillas?

Then we went to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House. (Oh no, did my hair look like this the WHOLE DAY? I mean... what do u think of my chic messy look?)(I am attempting to point to the two temples (Jordan River and Draper) you can see from this new temple. You cannot see the SLC temple building because of the high rises surrounding it)(Go Vanna go :-) I think I'll keep her)
Then we shopped at Maceys. Then we shopped at Costco again. It takes alot of food to feed Emily and Melanie, let alone the 27 others in the family. (OK, so the pizza was for our Sunday meals (plural))

Then Heidi came over for a minute before we ran off to see Cathy and Melinda for dinner. I figured I'd see her and baby Samuel again at the 4th of July in NM so wasn't too worried about the hurried visit.

Melinda was there from South Desnowda to help Cathy with a basketball camp. (They were going to go see the big heads on Thursday, the day our reunion was over!)Cathy's mother is taking the picture. Cathy put on a great meal for us on her new grill (which she washed and wiped down with a cloth when she was finished.. true story).

I ran to Walmart to get another cooler and then it was home to help Emily with her primary lesson on Sunday by coloring flannel board pictures and telling her everything she was doing was wonderful.

I'm so helpful like that.

OK, I think I'll add Sunday. ("Oh joy" you say.)

After Church, I packed the car while Emily updated her watering schedule. You guys should ask her about it. Its really quite involved and I hope her roommates handled it!

Then it was off! Emily fed me cherries to keep me nice...Spree got cheese to keep him nice...And the prairie dogs got left over Pub Mix which made them yell and get fat.Emily ate all of the above (but was already nice and didn't yell or get fat).

We saw a cool windmill farm in Wyoming. (I made Emily take pictures. It looks so cool!)

We stopped at Devils Gate and took a few quick pictures before the sunlight completely faded. The mosquitoes were so bad that we could hear them hitting the car like rain as we drove. I learned that I taste bad but Emily is DELICIOUS.
Emily asked one of the many deer and antelope we saw if they knew the way to White Rock but these deer aren't as friendly as the ones in NM and would run off. So instead we asked Aaron to look on his computer for the best hotel in Casper Wyoming and we stayed there. (Dad suggested the "Lamplighter Inn" since we apparently had stayed there many MANY years ago when we were young. Emily and I decided to choose our own :-)