This week we packed up once again and headed to our favorite summer getaway!  Palisades!!  This time we were joined by my whole family for the Elton Family Reunion.  Fun times multiplied!

Before we left, Ben helped Dad mow the lawn.  That boy is happiest when he is helping someone with work!

 

Kevin came down with us on Monday to help set up camp.  He left that evening as he and Savannah had to work thru Wednesday night.  My mom met us at the campground Monday afternoon.  My dad is trying to build the strength back up in his back and wasn't able to come!  We sure missed him but he sent his love through phone calls with mom and we're glad he was taking care of himself.  Monday was windy, windy and cold!  But Mom and I had fun visiting nonetheless!  It's a good thing that my kids are really good at reading in the tent!



 

 

Tuesday morning was pretty nice and so we did some swimming.  It started getting windy and cold again in the afternoon when my sister, Diane, and her family arrived.  After a huddled dinner, we tried to get warm around the fire -- until the rain started and put it out!  When my sister, Maggie, arrived with her family we were all huddled in our tents or cars.  We spent a very cold night!  But, it didn't snow as we heard later that it did in other parts of the state!  So, I'm counting us as lucky!

 

 

Wednesday dawned bright and clear, though still chilly.  That didn't stop the kids from swimming again.  With more cousins, it was all new once again!  More cousins arrived throughout the day as my brother, Pete, and his family arrived, my brother, Dave, arrived, and Amy and her family arrived!  The kids played in the water and in our canoe and on the paddle board that I rented.  That night we had a campfire (without rain or wind!), roasted s'mores, and told family stories!

 

 

Thursday was our very best day!  It was warmer and sunny and everybody was there!  Kevin and Savannah had even arrived late, late the night before.  Some of the guys went golfing that morning.  The kids played in the water and we talked and got caught up on each others' lives and that night we had another campfire with s'mores and shared stories of the kids' great-grandparents.  We even sang Great-Grandpa Elton's family reunion song, "The Highland Goat!"



Friday morning Pete and Diane and their families left and we missed them!  Kevin ran in the 5K that morning and won!  (There were five entrants!). He won us a day-long use of one of the park's paddleboats.  That was pretty fun!  The kids all played in the water again that day and the rest of us continued to visit.  That night we went into Manti (5 miles down the road) and saw the Mormon Miracle Pageant together!  The kids really liked it.  It was pretty neat to show it to so many of them!

 

Ben liked this in Manti, too!

Saturday morning the rest of us packed up and left!  It can be tiring to camp so long but it was great to see so many of my family and spend time with them.  I thought it was a great week!

 

Pete's Family

My Family

Amy's Family

Maggie's Family

Dave

Diane's Family

Grandma -- with a bunch of grandkids!