Family Reunion

Last weekend (June 13-14) my family got together at Lake Walcott state park, near Rupert, for a family reunion. It was so fun. I took my girls and went a day earlier than Ryan because Teri was here from Wyoming and we just don't get to spend enough time together. Everyone in the family was there except for JD, who is off being the voice of the Army these days. We camped and ate and fished and played games and had water fights. It's great to have a family where everyone really makes an effort to be together. We love spending time with each other. Sure we have differences of opinion, and we all have our idiosyncracies that drive everyone else crazy, but generally we love each other and get along pretty well. Some of visited Albion, which is a little town not far from the Utah border where the Phippens lived for quite some time--my dad's father, grandparents and great-grandparents. It was neat to see the valley where they lived and farmed and died. Also in Albion is the Teacher's college that my mom's mom attended. I love experiencing places that we read and hear about because it all of a sudden becomes real. It's a pretty little valley. Over the last 6 months I have been more involved in family history research and I really enjoy that. I love understanding their lives and learning from the faith and courage of our ancestors. My girls also enjoy hearing the family stories. A couple days after we got home, we were driving around in the car and Anya said to me, "Tell me a story about your grandpa that died." It's a great legacy to pass on. I'll post a slide show when I get to Ryan's computer where all the pictures are downloaded.