Jones family Reunion Sept. 2011

This past week we finally held the Jones Family Reunion, which I have been planning forever. All who know me know I just like to plan. It was our turn to plan the event, and we won't have it again for a decade or two, so I thought we'd better get it right!! Man alive, it was FUN!!! A lot of work for me...and lots of the other adults...but totally worth it. Even when I was super busy and hot and bustling about, I didn't mind it at all. It was so worth it seeing the memories being made, and watching the family members of all ages having a blast. I'd do it again in a heartbeat....or maybe a decade!! For those who read my blog and need a place for a family reunion--this is the absolute place!!! 8,000 square feet of non-stop fun for folks of all ages.

Pond with canoes, swing set, volleyball net, baseball field, tennis and basketball, horseshoes, fire pit, hot tub, picnic tables, deck and grills, ping pong, air hockey, hoop shoot, and on and on and on!! Here's the schedule for each day of the reunion.

This place is a kids paradise!! Check out this bunk room with a secret passage way and a twisty tube slide from upstairs. And these huge vinyl blocks were tons of fun. We settled on cousins in first grade or older sleeping in the bunk room. They were not so happy when they found out we had an adult on bedtime bunk room duty each night. But they sure did go to sleep quiet and quick with a parent keeping guard!!

The kids also had this huge room we called the "gym" with lots of awesome ride-ons, tee pees, and balls. (Lots of other fun stuff too. But we confiscated it all, since our group tends to lean towards using any and everything as a weapon!!)

We helped the kids tie-dye T-shirts. Some turned out better than others, but they all looked super cool as a group, wearing them.

We played in the river at the St. Anthony sand bar. It's just a local city park, redneck style. So, right up our alley. Check out this make shift tube slide with spraying water that dumps you into the snake river.

And make shift diving board. We had quite a show of divers. Adults and kids alike. These two pics are of Ellie diving and Logan jumping.

When I announced to the guys in the group that the next thing on the docket was to help the kids make card stock rockets, I am pretty sure they were less than enthusiastic. They had no idea how cool it would end up. We borrowed a rocket launcher from a scout leader in our ward. And boy oh boy did it work!! These babies flew so stinkin' high and far. The adults loved it as much as the kids.

Darin's brother started the first straw mazes in Utah and Idaho. So Thursday night we all got to head to his Rexburg Straw Maze. A few kids got lost, a few adults got lost. It was the day before the official opening night, so we also got to get on top of the maze for a birds-eye view. Quite nerve-racking with a bunch of kids. But pretty cool. Darin got to escort little Miss Savannah through the maze, which was totally entertaining. She's an adorable little thing who talks and talks. She and her sisters seem to be everyone's favorite little people around. I guess I can't blame them!! This little Nan is irresistible!!

Family pics at the straw maze as well. The huge group shots are not on my camera. But here is my little fam. And Darin with his parents and all the bros and sisters.

No pics to prove it, but all the guys left early one morning to fish the Henry's Fork of the snake river. A couple caught fish. But they all had fun and loved the break from the chaos of the reunion, I am sure. The kids and gals met up with them for lunch at Harriman State Park. We had a picnic, went for a walk and enjoyed the amazing views.

Then it was on to Mesa Falls. So beautiful to see.

Then a stop at the fish feeding observation deck. Huge fish everywhere, jumping for food.

Here are two of my favorite pics from the reunion. Devin and Allie in the hammock, and Logan and Jake eating dinner in the evening light. The food in the pic is Devin's chicken cordon blue masterpiece. A favorite meal for sure, along with the Alaskan halibut we had the first night. Yummy stuff 24/7.

Dalynn organized two family fun runs, complete with race shirts and prizes. The adults 5K run was at the crack of dawn. The sunrise as they were running was amazing. I say "when they were running", because I ran half way down the driveway, took pictures for 20 minutes, and ran halfway back up the driveway. I have heard tales of a couple others not quite completing the entire course as well!!! Naughty things!! Does Dalynn know??

Devin won. Devarie came in second, and Darla third. Devarie could have passed Devin, but at the last second, he turned into the road runner!! His time was 23 minutes, some seconds. It's all a mind game for that boy. The shirts say "Jones 5K" and the last guy in the line of runners on the shirt is fat and drinking a soda. Evan was the designer of the shirts.

Later came the kids Fun Run. Kids over eight ran it alone. And then the younger ones had an adult partner. It was so fun to watch!! Medals for each of them as they crossed the finish line. Nobody made a big deal over the winners. Much to my relief. And, Logan was fabulous about the whole thing! Although the tears were shed earlier that morning when it became known that Darin nor I would win the 5K. Just never can tell where these emotions will come out.

The runs really were so much fun. And the bustling about making breakfast between the two races was just a great time.

Heidi make these darling aprons for all the kids, and brought all the stuff for them to make homemade ice-cream. It worked super great. We will definitely do that again on our own.

Saturday night all the lady-folk went out to dinner and to the RS broadcast. The top photo is Marilyn and the four Jones sisters. The bottom is the five sisters-in-law, married to five of the Jones boys. And the kids happen to be marching around "following the prophet" as part of a little impromptu song performance.

Boys will be boys seems to be an understatement in this family. And I don't mean the cousin kids. I don't know how many times Dallon flexed his muscles? He was also the first adult to go down the tube slide. The three younger brothers had a diving board show-off competition going on, and Fode wanted to be sure I got a pic of him on the tight rope. (Look closely, he is in the air, not standing on the ground.) Pretty fun fellas.

Way. Way. Way. Too many photos to post on this blog. But here are a few great people shots. And some of the fun things we did not pictured on the blog are: A birthday cake and ice-cream for Jake, Jones family Bingo, cousin crossword puzzles, nail painting, airplane building, kids talent show, game playing, late night talks, etc. We also did a fun CD idea I got off another blog. Each family member submitted a song that they like right now. I burned CD's for everyone with all of the songs. We played a part of each song, trying to guess who submitted it. It turned out to be a really fun activity--hopefully one we'll repeat..

Pretty sure this will be a reunion that almost every kid remembers for a lifetime, as the best they ever had. If that's the case....then MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!