Other stuff besides the reunion

 I had an Orem Chorale choir concert at the Assembly hall at temple square the same Saturday that we came home from the reunion, but I'm glad I made it!  It was a beautiful concert and I really enjoyed being a part of it.  My mom and dad and grandma Rappleye made the effort to come support me and listen, I do believe my 92 year old grandma has more stamina than I do.

 

 

Father's day crept up on us the next day. I managed to pull together a breakfast and card for Jared that morning, but didn't even have time to have the kids sign it (we have 9:00 church and the kids were exhausted from the trip). Weston said that was good because then we could regift it.  I thought about giving it to my dad, but the little poem on it really DID NOT describe my dad. So I had a brilliant idea to add to the poem and have all my siblings help me read it to dad. My part was the actual cheesy poem, the parenthesis were my additions.  Here is how it went:

Father’s Day Poem 6/16/13

Dedicated to Alan Barrett from his children

Heather: A Dad is really great to have for riding piggy back

Heidi: (That is unless your dad’s our dad, if you ride his back you’ll both go splat)

Heather: He’s great for mending toys and hearts when things go out of whack

Kynsie: (His way of mending toys was just to throw them in the trash!)

Heather: For checking out the monsters lucking in the dark

Rachel: (Our dad made up the purple goat and scarred us all for life)

Heather: For helping out with homework or cookouts in the park

Joseph: (Wasn’t it mom who wanted cookouts and dad who’d rather relax?

Justin: And I’m pretty sure it was dad who made me cry when doing math

Karli: And doesn’t anyone else’s dad ever need to take a bath?)

Heather: For celebrating little wins, for tickling our toes 

Krystal: (He cheered when we grew up at last and no longer had a runny nose)

Heather: For laughing at our riddles and clapping at our shows

Jesse: (He clapped when they were finally over and during he only dozed.)

Heather: A dad is really great to have and that’s especially true

Holly: (Cuz our dad is Alan Barrett and he loves us through and through

He taught us well, he loves the Lord, he’s gentle funny and good,

ALL: We love you dad quirks and all, we hope you know we do!)

Prior to the trip, Weston participated in a basketball camp the 1st week of June.  All the boys were a head taller than Weston and way more aggressive, but hey, he got a t-shirt and a basketball out of it.

 We had fun swimming and having a bbq to celebrate Kynsies 18th birthday June 6. Kynsie was a little baby when I graduated from high school and now she is an accomplished, smart, beautiful young lady.
 We also visited our newest nephew Knightly son of Jesse and Kelsy, he is a beautiful boy!

 

 

Weston got a hair cut at Sports Clip for free for going to the basketball camp, another perk. He needed it badly.  That started his birthday celebrations for the week.  We gave him a karate dojo and a free introductory class, but I don't think we can afford gymnastics and karate for him as much as he would love it.  He'll have to learn self defense in gymnastics moves I guess. Weston already has self discipline and respect.  He is a good boy.

 

Rappleye Family Reunion at Zions

OK here is a summary of our Rappleye Family Reunion down to Zions. We left Thursday and hiked the emerald pools trail in Zions, we stopped at the Clear Creek Ranch Lodge before heading into the national park to put Weston's birthday cake and some salad for a big family dinner in the fridge. It was super hot hiking but very beautiful and the kids loved wading in the pool and catching tadpoles. Thursday evening we had a nice dinner with the 65 or so Rappleye family members who came to the reunion and afterwards Uncle Lloyd expounded the miracle it was that we got that venue for free the week we got it and how important it is to gather as families.  Jared and I went to the lake and had a canoe ride, and Weston joined us and the two of them had fun catching fish. We roasted marshmallows and had s'mores and then played musical beds while we figured out who was sleeping where.  With 65 men women and children in the same venue it can become a little chaotic.  Most of the "party animals" stayed up til 1:30 AM playing games.  No one got much sleep that night. The next day Friday was Weston's 9th birthday!  So he went out fishing again in the morning and we enjoyed Waffle Love breakfast and he opened some presents.  He got mostly legos and a puzzle. Most everyone left midday to go to the Terry/Barrett swimming hole in Zions, or out to eat lunch in town, except weakling Heather who stayed in the lodge and slept. The kids loved jumping off the rock into the cool pools.  After some lunch the kids enjoyed slip and sliding just outside the lodge, and Savanna won the record for the farthest sliding in the women's category.  I helped my dad make Burritos for the whole family that evening, and we enjoyed listening to Rappleye's tell stories until nearly 10:00 when I had everyone in the entire family sing Happy Birthday to Weston and have cake and cookies.  We got some better sleep but had to get up bright and early to have breakfast and enjoy one last family devotional before checking out of the lodge. The Spirit was very strong and I had the opportunity to share how I've been blessed for "staying on the right path" in my life, and I felt a lot of love and appreciation from my family members.  It was worth the hassle!  In fact we made many very good memories. We are SO blessed!