We had to step away from the annual Lake Powell group this summer and it was one of the harder decisions we’ve had to make and it didn’t come lightly. But we didn’t want to step away from the relationships. So we doubled down on fostering our long-distance relationships.

At the beginning of the year, we were up in Park City for a long weekend of skiing with these friends and it was there that we made the plans to gather this summer at our friend’s lake house. We’ve been there a few times over the last couple of years and it is an absolute dream.

You can imagine our disappointment when it was cancelled due to a personal conflict for our friends who were hosting. We were bummed, but it was out of our control, so we made new plans and moved on. And then just 7 days before our scheduled weekend, we got a text that the trip was back on and we were quick to change plans again!

The weekend was better than we could have imagined. It seems like when we go to Powell, it always takes some time for the kids to warm up to the group again (most of them live close to each other and they’re still raising their kids side-by-side), its like cousins who see each other once a year. But the warm-up period was short and within an hour of the group arriving, they were already bonding over the Secret Hitler board game.

They spent the day on the lake; surfing, tubing, foiling, jumping…there wasn’t time to be bored. And we got to sit at the table and talk about life. And parenting. And dreams and ideas. There’s a reason why we bonded together so many years ago.

The weekend couldn’t have gone better. After two nights, Steve and I lay in bed marveling – it was everything we had hoped for. The lake and weather were beautiful. The kids hung out and had a great time. they built relationships and we were able to connect with our friends; it was all we hoped for. It wasn’t Lake Powell, but it was a great substitute this summer.

And it was a pretty great backdrop for the final game of the World Cup!

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In addition to celebrating my parents’ 50th anniversary, our reunion included all the things we’ve grown to enjoy together and this year we were stationed in Park City, Utah.

We hiked Blood’s Lake. We did this same hike a few years ago and there was still snow around the lake. This year, the weather was much more agreeable and the kids were happy to get in the water even if it was a little chilly.

The kids were entertained at the local swimming pool. We were all a little surprised the lifeguards let their shenanigans go on as long as they did. But once Briggs was hanging from Hunter’s hands they blue the whistle.

We spent the afternoon at the local rec center. Immediately upon entering the facility, the kids took to the turf soccer field and the adults followed. What resulted was the most competitive game of family soccer with all ages included. And if the younger cousins thought the older cousins would go soft on them – they were sorely mistaken. It has been years since I’ve played on a soccer field – I think I was in college – and I was out there ready to break a leg. All my siblings played soccer. And almost every grandkid has played or is currently playing. It was intense. It was fun. And we played for over an hour. And the best part is my parents watched from the sidelines just like they always have. I wish I could have captured the grin across my dad’s face as we watched us battle each other. I wish I could say we ended injury free but we did have two rolled ankles that ended up swelling and bruising nicely. All for the love of the game.

We spent time at the local park. Rounds of bucket golf and wiffle ball. We are a competitive bunch.

Went to dinner with my parents and siblings/spouses.

We cheered and groaned loudly watching World Cup soccer games and we got lots of cousin time.

I’m grateful every year we’re able to pull off this reunion. The older everyone gets, the harder it is find a time and space to fit our group. And this summer, the first grandchild got married, so our group is starting to grow at a faster pace.

I will continue to fight for this reunion, as complicated as it may get. There is so much value in gathering under the same roof and our relationships have been strengthened over the years because of it. Family is everything.

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Every year, my family gathers for a reunion of some sort. It started years ago, and even though the family is growing and changing, we’ve managed to keep the tradition alive.

This summer, my parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary and we surprised them by turning our reunion into one big anniversary party.

The first night we arrived, we patiently waited for them to go to bed (much later than we expected) and then the party crew came to life, decorating the house with balloons and pictures.

They awoke the next morning to our fun surprise. Unfortunately, they went to bed much earlier than the rest of us so not many were up to see their reaction the next morning.

Every night we had an activity planned that centered around my parents and the family/life they created. My sister organized a game where we learned about my parents and had cake and ice cream.

Another night all the adults went out to dinner and then came home to play a music game – where everyone submitted a song that represented them and we played clips of each song and tried to determine who picked which song. (Hunter won that game!)

We had family pictures, which takes some serious coordination and skill as I’m running from the camera on the tripod to join my family in the picture. I went surprsingly faster than I thought and it made me really grateful for older kids who know how to stand still and look at the camera for a few minutes.

The last night was probably my favorite as we gathered and listened to my brother perform a song that he worked on with my sister.

It highlighted some of the quirky parts of our family life and upbringing and touched on things our kids will remember their grandparents for. I found myself laughing and crying throughout the song and my parents were the same. I will treasure that song for years to come.

And as a first for on of our family gatherings, we had shirts made with a design my brother created for a hat as a play on our last night with an “Est 1976” added.

50 years is long time. A quick Google search informed me that only roughly 8% of married Americans reach a 50-year anniversary. That is a pretty low percentage and both my parents and Steve’s parents have reached that milestone.

I love them for their example. For what they’ve taught me both by word and action. I love how they give so freely. I love that they graciously open their home to my family every summer. I love the siblings they gave me. I love that they pray for me and my family. I love their devotion to each other and to God. I love that my kids know them and they know my kids, which can be a challenge when you don’t live close. They have shown me over and over again that my family is a priority for them.

I am grateful for their 50-year example.

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Our time in Idaho this summer was unfortunately shorter than we’ve ever had – too many good things going on this summer.

But we made the most of the time we had – it was a non-stop party.

We enjoyed a small town 4th of July. Cousins. Fishing. BBQ. Red, white and blue. World Cup Soccer. Fireworks. Patriotic music.

We made our annual trip down the river – same river, just a different portion and we all enjoyed the change of scenery. We always bring enough tubes for everyone but all the kids end up cramming on two paddle boards which only adds to the experience.

I’m not sure how many World Cup soccer games we watched, but I do know we didn’t miss very many. One afternoon we were supposed to make the 30-minute drive over to my brother’s house and we decided we would leave after we finished watching one of the games. With just 5 minutes left in the game, Senegal was ahead 2-0 and we got in the car to leave. Just as everyone got buckled in, we saw my dad come running out of the house, “Belgium just scored!” We all unbuckled and ran back in the house. We couldn’t believe our eyes when we watched Belgium score again – two times in 4 minutes – to tie the game and send it into overtime. By this point, we were really late to my brother’s house so we decided we would bring the soccer game with us on the drive by watching it on the laptop. The drive was just long enough; we pulled into the driveway in stoppage time and watched the foul that forced a PK and sent Belgium to the next round.

Because we were watching so much soccer, that also meant we were playing a lot of soccer.

And when it wasn’t soccer, it was tennis. Hallie was working to find her groove again after the mission and the boys were preparing for sports camp. I live for these long light evenings.

They played hard. We stayed up late. We spent a lot of time driving to and from my brother’s house – because that’s where the cousins were. And is it even summer if we don’t play multiple rounds of the Game of Life?

Idaho was good to us just like it always has been.

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My kids love fishing at my brother’s pond in Idaho every summer.

Fishing at my brother’s stock pond in Idaho is not your ordinary fishing experience. In fact, calling it “fishing” might be a little generous. It’s more like youth sports where everyone gets a trophy. Every kid catches a fish. And the competition is less about whether you’ll catch something and more about who can catch the biggest one.

There are plenty of fishing rods available, but my kids enjoyed the challenge of catching fish with the net. They would lean over the edge of the dock, sprinkle fish food on the surface and wait patiently with the net. It’s part fishing, part strategy, and part chaos when they catch the fish and pull it on the dock with a side of giggles and screams.

Every day we were at my brother’s house, I would catch them on the dock or shoreline, making a plan. They’d catch some fish and move on with another activity and then make their way back to the dock later in the evening. It’s amazing how a pond, a few nets, and a bunch of kids turn into one of the highlights of the trip.

This year, Hunter took the trophy. His fish was large enough that someone ran to grab the scale – he managed to catch a fish weighing over four pounds…with a net! I’m not sure whether that makes him an especially skilled fisherman or just patient, but either way, it was an impressive catch.

When they weren’t fishing in the pond, they were often swimming and kayaking in the pond or making up some game or competition that usually had me laughing.

My kids were made for water. Traditionally, that is a swimming pool or lake in Arizona – but ponds in Idaho are just as fun!

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