Family reunion. It had been years. Seeing the cousins, seeing my childhood best friend, sitting around the campfire in the mountains making memories, playing football with the boys that I used to hold as babies.
Laughing about the old days when the boys used to catch bees and the girls would scour the beach at the lake looking for 'leeches' (code word = BOYS). Weird, I know. We never would talk to them if we found any. We'd just giggle and walk past several times, pushing the prettiest of us to the front – hoping to be invited out for a water skiing lesson or a jet ski ride. {{{Swoon}}} Ahh, adolescence. The near death experiences as Uncle Ken taught us all to water ski back in the day. The deliciousness of chips and salsa when you're famished from playing in the water so hard. Camp hair. Campfire clothes. Late night tent conversations about life and boys and clothes and boys and whatever else it is that giggly girls talk about. The excitement of huckleberry picking with the ever-lurking fear of stumbling upon a bear. "Make a lot of noise" my aunt told me. Now that is a task I can handle. THIS is how I remembered the fam.
I was so excited to go again, ready to revisit childhood. People cautioned me that it wouldn't be the same as when I was 12. They were right. It was so much better. When I was 12, I wasn't sitting there thinking a million thoughts as I scanned the faces that bore a slight resemblance to mine (particularly the nose). I wasn't soaking up every moment knowing that I probably wouldn't see these guys again for years. I didn't know how precious time would become to me, I didn't realize what a luxury it was to spend minutes and hours sitting and talking with people you love. I wasn't grateful for the simple opportunity to wrap my arms around my Grandpa (we are so blessed to still have him, what a gift from God). Yep, this year was different.
Dana. Wowee. It brought my youth back to spend so much time with you. Away from my life. Away from yours. I feel like I know you again. I remember WHY we were always "Best Friends." Its so much bigger than that. I don't need to explain, you know. I love you way down deep.
Okay, the fun stuff.
AJ. Dana's hubby. Wow can that guy level a camper. I can't get over his skills. I don't think I've ever sat in a more level camper. I'm pretty sure the bubble was lined up between the two green lines every single time I looked at it.
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| the uber level camper |
Tim. I love that he bought canned cheese to take home (Canada) to a friend as an American souvenir.
Calvin. You have no idea how much you always win me over. Thanks to you and Tim and Gus for setting up my tent. And then thanks for packing it down the road for this silly girl when I decided that I wanted to camp by your sister. You are such a keeper. Sorry I can't make decisions. Do you know where you REALLY won me over? "Wow Anna. You've got an amazing spiral!" I was like, "yeah, I'm surprised you didn't know that." But on the inside I was doing a little happy dance. There's just something so warm and fuzzy about having a guy approve of the way you throw a football. Its like a rite of passage. Thanks Cuz.
Also, Calvin and I got to witness Stephanie's VERY FIRST Butterfinger. Don't they have those in Canada? Anyways, it was amazing. I have a picture. I love introducing people to awesome things.
Bear hunting with AJ, Brodey and Dana in the dark. I have a video of this, but due to sounding like a stupid girl in it, it won't be posted. As fun as it was, I actually was scared. There really was a bear at the edge of our camp, they saw him out in the open one evening. AJ said he could smell it. And I was living in a tent. THEY had a camper, with a locking door. Talking about the crazy rapist man running around in a bear costume didn't help either. But yeah, we went LOOKING for the bear. Smart? Um, no. At the end of the hunt, I went and got in my little tent, and committed my soul into the keeping of the Lord. I fully expected to die, but was too proud to beg to sleep in the camper - which already had 3 adults and 4 children in it. Much to my relief, Dana and Brodey came and got me a short time later and said they didn't want me to die and I had to sleep in the camper. Phew! It sounds crazy, but I'm sure it's not because Dana may have heard it too.... I am CERTAIN the bear came and tried to open the door in the night, but he couldn't get in because of the lock. I heard him banging on it.
Brodey qualified to hang out with us again. It was nice to have a retainer buddy for a few days. Someone who understands why you have to suck the spit off your retainer as you pull it from your mouth. I hope you guys didn't keep him from his WWF babe too much longer. Also, he gets 10 points for jumping off the bridge first.
Swimming in the lake with all the cousins. There was this terrific floating dock out aways. We went out and sat on it. You can't sit on a dock for too long before the boys get restless. I was the first one to be thrown in. It may seem weird, but there's just something so fun about being picked up and tossed screaming into the water.
Tim and Gus camping on the mountain. The uncles filled their heads with spooks about bears and mountain lions (this was BEFORE we saw the bear) before they left. Apparently they didn't sleep at all. Tim said this is how it went... "We started out talkin' about the Bible and stuff to get our mind off the bears. But then we started talking in depth about demons, and that was way worse than the bears." SO FUNNY! They kept guard all night for demons and bears. I can relate.
Napoleon Dynamite. All week long. Did we watch it? No. I got to live it through the guys. Thanks. I like your sleeves. They're real puffy.
Dana, friends don't let friends eat fruitcake. And it just makes me grin to remember that you got your house that day.
Dana's babies. I miss those little kiddos so much. I think Part II (b) or (c) will be all about them.
I had the privilege to drive to town and pick up Grandma from getting her hair permed. She was so proud to have one of her 'lovely' granddaughters at the salon. I sat there and visited with her stylist, and she poured me a cup of coffee. Grandma told the stylist of all my accomplishments. It was cute. The drive home was so wonderful. 45 minutes to learn about this courageous little woman. Most of the drive home I was trying not to start weeping, she's such a special lady. We were talking about prayer, and answers to prayer. Its no wonder I have such a blessed life, my little Grandma prays for all of us faithfully. She prays every night for the cousins in Iraq, and she thanks God every night that they are home on US soil. She's been through more than I can write about in this post. Someday I should write about her though - you'd love her too.
Grandpa. I got to sit with my arm around him on the grass, watching his family enjoying life in the meadow. Our faucets both got a little leaky for a minute. He seems so gruff sometimes, but I've discovered his secret. He's a softy. He loves us so much. I kiss him every chance I get now that I know. Dana and I were talking about him. It gives you such a sense of belonging and being loved to know that you've got his approval. I went up to the house one morning to transform from my cocoon (camp-bed-head) into a butterfly. So after I came out of the bathroom, I was going to head out the door but Grandpa hollered "Let me get a look at ya!" So I went in and twirled around in front of his chair... and he said "Why sure enough. You are a butterfly!" {{{{ also, it makes me laugh that Uncle Ron was in the house when I first introduced the metaphor about being in a cocoon... then he went down to the campfire and told Dana I was rambling some silly thing about cocoons, and he didn't understand it }}}}
Watching Mom laugh with her siblings. Scanning their faces for the same expressions and mannerisms that define my Mama. Hearing her giggle in that "I was/AM a stinker and I know it" way as she tells a story about getting her brothers in trouble. Yep. Good times.
I'm so glad God thought of families.
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