Family Reunion #2.

just looking at this first picture makes me so happy! we had a great reunion with my immediate family just about a week after travis' extended family reunion (aug. 7-12) at bear lake in utah. for those that don't know, i am the 8th out of 9 children so when we all get together it is one huge party. we stayed in a great bed and breakfast that we had all to ourselves with meals catered for us every night, a big backyard plus a bouncehouse that we brought, one bedroom per family, and plenty of space for almost 50 people!

the whole group: one grandma and grandpa, 9 uncles, 8 aunts, 1 aunt-to-be, and 26 grandchildren.
the original 9. isn't it funny how this looks like a tiny family?

me and my sisters

the week in between the two reunions i decided to go to my parents house in bountiful with the boys so that we wouldn't have to drive all the way home just to turn back around a week later. so we had a fun week with grandma and grandpa and katie and her kids helping to get ready for the reunion and a wedding.



the rest of the pics are from the reunion. i rarely saw my boys except for meals, bedtime, and to transfer them from the house to the lake. i told calvin at the end of the week that i missed him and he looked at me like i was crazy! there are so many fun cousins for my boys to play with and they loved every minute of it!
the thursday before the reunion my dad turned 60 (!) which we were able to celebrate with him pretty quietly at home with my boys and katie's kids. little did he know that on the first day of the reunion we had a surprise b-day party planned for him. i do think he was completely surprised. i love these picture of him. he is the best dad i could have asked for and i look up to him in so many ways. anyone who knows him, loves him. happy birthday dad!


each family was in charge of presenting him with something, whether it be a skit or song or...knighting him.
everyone waiting for the cake to get cut.
we spent a few days at the lake on the boat and jet skis and also went on a great hike near bear lake that led to a cool lake with a rope swing. all were great and we had a great time with every activity.
we're a little cRaZy!
these are from our hike up to the glacier lake. it was beautiful!
travis and calvin fished while we were there and calvin caught a fish! all of his cousins were very impressed with him. and calvin was very proud.

the rope swing was really fun. we just felt bad for the people who got there right after us. most of us took at least one turn which, with 46 of us, can take a while. these were a few of the good shots that i caught.
meghan, the bride-to-be. yeah meg!
eric
haha, love it. mike.
amy:)
calvin. he didn't even hesitate. he was no fear and knew just what to do. travis and i both went but i was too late with my camera when he went and apparently my camera didn't take a picture by itself while i went. bummer.
travis and calvin tubing

the boys going for a ride on the jet ski.
my dad with owen driving the boat.

me going "pregnancy tubing" nice and slow and on my knees. i'm hoping next summer i'll have a chance to wakeboard...


when we weren't in the water there were plenty of cousins to dig with in the sand.
or there was usually a mom to lay next to on the beach.
since adam and meghan were getting married the day after the reunion we were able to have our traditional bachelor party (christensen style, don't worry) this event usually includes contests to see who can hammer a nail into the wood fastest, the microwave game and this year mike introduced the car pull. and somehow, spandex is usually involved. and i'm sad to say that my husband supplied all of the spandex this year. hmmm.

we also had a ladies only bridal shower. it was so fun with great food, of course, and fun games. all the girls.

and this is the day we got back from the reunion in between unpacking, getting ready for a wedding dinner that night and the wedding the next day. i think we were all feeling a bit exhausted but none of us besides my dad thought it would be a good idea to sleep on the bean bag in the middle of all the chaos! i guess that's what you get when you're grandpa of this huge family! thanks again mom and dad!