Part 4- The Finale

This is what happens when I take too long putting up my posts. Other things start happening that I would like to post about but I can't write about them until I finish the series. I gotta put the pedal to the metal. This post is ginormous!

So part of our fun took us to Temple Square.


Ava loved visiting "where Mom and Dad got marry"

Eavan, Roan, Oliver, Marin, Sara, and Ava

And I got one of my now favorite photos of Dan and Ava.

Grandpa and the girls, Rebecca and Kieran

Christina and Bret

The Little Girls-Sofia, Ava, Sara, and Marin



Ava and Marin

Dallin and Marin

The weather was so awesome I could hardly stand it. We went through the visitors center, and walked the grounds. Luke was ridiculous. Honestly, I don't even know what his problem was but he would be fine and happy one moment and then miserably beside himself the next. As was the case for much of our reunion, Grandma Leslie was his comfort.


If he didn't have Dan, then he wanted Grandma. I think it was because she was one of the only familiar faces to him. And because he flat out adores her.


But in a happy moment, I caught this glimpse of him.



And I thought how even better it might be if I could get one sans paci.

This is what I got when I said, "Luke can I have your paci for just one picture?"



Wish us luck as we begin the Paci Reduction Program at our house this week.

We took a day to go down to BYU campus. All of us have memories there, as all of us kids either attended or graduated from BYU and Mom and Dad visited every year for nearly 15 years for Dad to lecture.





In any case, we all needed a little visit. We lunched at the Cougar Eat and desserted at the Creamery.

And we finished up the day at one of my personal favorite places-South Fork Park in Provo Canyon. Dan and I used to take lunch and a frisbee or football up there all the time. It is so beautiful!

The stream was very cold, but it didn't stop the kids from getting in.


In fact, Dallin got more than he bargained for, when he realized just how deep it was!



The football was thrown,




the stream was waded in,




the blanket was laid on,


the grass was reveled in,


the view was enjoyed.




Despite the difficulties our kids had, we wouldn't miss this reunion for the world. I can't count the times in a week that I long for my sisters. Or how much I enjoy the big brother security and love I feel from my brothers. These are my people.



Mom, Dad, Mimi, Geof, Charlie, Benny, Bret, Christina, Rebecca, Elise, Sara, Chandra, Paul, Brayden, Kieran, Torin, Eavan, Roan, Marin, Dallin, Ian, Cristina, Oliver, Sofia, Santiago, Leah, Chris, Noah, Ian, Dan, Ava, and Luke, Thank you for being my family.