Well I say "just back" but honestly we got home on Tuesday. It's just taken me that long to get it together enough to write and share this. I think I'm finally glad to be back.
In case you didn't know, I was at a family reunion in the mountains of Colorado. I have learned that 130 people from the same family spending a week together on a regular basis is a little unusual, but this is the family I came from so it really shouldn't surprise anyone. We've been doing this since 1977, although we've had to change locations a couple times, all but once it's been in Colorado. Some things change, most things stay the same.
We spend time doing regular tourist activities like horseback riding and whitewater rafting. I skipped both of those this time, but one morning someone asked if we wanted to go take an easy hike along the trail in a town called No Name. A few people turned into a nice group. It was beautiful, and really not rough - although when the trail started getting narrow and there was nothing on one side but a drop to that stream I was a little nervous.
We have a fishing competition, and tournaments for Mahjong and Horseshoes. I got volunteered into the horseshoes which was pretty funny because the only other time I've played horseshoes was at our last reunion. I'm pretty bad at it. One time I managed to toss my shoe into the other pit (which I called a "sandbox" until some people laughed at me and set me straight), but about half time time I didn't make it to any pit at all. It was still fun (and funny), and I ended up talking with a cousin I had never talked to before. I was hoping he'd win the tournament so I could tell people, well, I lost to the champ, so... He didn't win (his grandpa did), but he did really well. Go Ian.
So we do that, but we also add in more unique things like a family No Talent Show, and giant sing alongs (that's my favorite). I don't know how all this sounds to people who aren't us, but we love it and anxiously look forward to it for all the 3 years in between.
And each reunion, someone gets awarded the "Golden Cow Patty" award. It used to be a real cow patty (ie: poop) that someone spray painted gold, but these days it's a novelty clock from a mail order place. The criteria for who gets it seems pretty vague, but I think it has something to do with the person who had the biggest pile of cow patty to deal with in regards to the reunion. The last person to receive the honor gets to choose the next recipient.
This year, I was in charge of dealing with our reunion tshirts and to say it was a giant mess is kind of an understatement. Believe it or not it wasn't even my fault. The struggle was real, and so my cousin passed it on to me. Several cousins told me to just stick in a drawer until the next reunion. One told me I was required to hang it in my living room. I compromised and put it here. I'm calling it the poop clock.
This time (and last time) it was at a hotel in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. It's a lot like any tourist town in the Rockies. Their special attractions are a lot of natural hot springs and best of all an Adventure Park at the top of a mountain. We had dinner for 100 up there. Not only did I ride the ferris wheel and the "alpine slide", one of my aunties convinced me to do the zip line! I am afraid of heights so bravo to both of us. I had quite the adrenaline rush for a while after that, so that was fun.
The best parts, though, are the times there are no activities and we all end up together anyway, talking and listening to the stories we all tell. I am lucky that most of the people in my family are people I'd want to know even if I weren't related to them. They are funny and interesting and I feel lucky to know them. They have fantastic stories to tell, and our family is full of people who know how to tell a story. Knowing them my whole life (or their whole lives for the younger ones), and sharing our rich history and years of memories - well nothing beats spending quality time with these people.
I did not take nearly enough photos on this trip. I was too focused on chatting with my family. I did make a lot of short videos, and it's slightly possible I'll do something with those.
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