The reunions

It is a custom in my husband's family to have a family reunion sometime in the last week of the year. It is also known as "The White Elephant Party." We were so excited to see the family! It suddenly dawned on me, that my son and one of his cousins were throwing a ball as adults (they each are parents of 5 or more children) just like they did when they were 10. I also watched Richard's son organize the children and play active games with them, just like Richard did when our children were young.

This reunion is a one-night celebration and since so many people live close, it is a potluck. We each bring a white elephant gift and enjoy giving and getting odd, sometimes useless gifts and occasionally gifts that tickle our fancy. It is a tradition that has lasted for many years and at least one generation removed from ours.

As is my tradition, I took no pictures, so you are just bored stiff reading.

Over the New Year's weekend, my side of the family had a rare family reunion. It was a 2-day affair held at my sister's ward building.

I planned and executed much of it, but my extended family really came through. They gave me money to help defray the costs, they did dishes and cleaned the building, they prepared games, they entertained the children, they provided recipes for a family cookbook. It was a fun occasion! We had meals, a talent show, a time to talk and prepare the cookbooks, and the highlight of our time together, a discussion about our parents by my brothers and sisters. We were all surprised when we received a copy of my father's diary that my brother had transcribed during the summer. Many of us read it before the weekend was over and loved what it had to say.

Once again, I didn't take pictures, but someone borrowed my camera and took a few pictures during our discussion the last night.