Fehlberg Reunion: Huntington 2021

 The Fehlberg Reunion this year was so well planned and executed.  It was a blast.  The location was good, the weather was hot but good...if only we hadn't all gotten colds!!  But we soldiered on and had a great time anyway.

My paddleboarding.  For the win though--my hip and neck were great afterward.  I think the new feldenkrais treatment is helping me to align better.

We also went to the Emery County Aquatic Center--super fun pool & the kids all tried flips off the diving board.  Libby and Ben even did back flips as well! Sarah did a front flip--after much thinking about it.  She didn't rotate it exactly perfectly--so it wasn't her favorite.  

Ben loved hanging with little Clark. 

These cousins are so fun!  Aidan and Alyssa with Libby

Libby watched a whole gang of kids for the family meeting! 

Geneva even drove the go kart! 

So did Maren! 

Sarah reunited with Alexis!  Super cute BFFs. 

Libby loved the little cousins!

Ben flipping. 

A few of the siblings and spouses are experiencing some pretty serious health challenges. Hopefully this won't be the last reunion with all of them there. 

Kickball was awesome! (even in 100 degrees)

Ben was the captain of the winning team! 

Me at the plate. 

We checked out an old abandoned mine site.  Ben found some coal! 

On the way there, we drove through Ephraim and stopped at Snow College.  It was so fun to see how much it has grown and changed.  And hasn't...at the same time. 

Nuttall hall, named for a Norton relative. 

We also drove through Manti to see the house were the Fehlberg grandparents lived for the last years of their lives. 

Everyone together for a few :) Then Libby stayed with the car while we looked around campus.  It was hot! 

Happy 4th of July!

We were in Centerville for the 4th this year, as my kids always demand that we must be.   But, it wasn't quite the same, and the kids didn't really go all in.

Ben did get up for the Children's Parade (new location, same delicious Pace's Bars at the end.)

It was SO SO hot.  So we stayed at the park for just a few minutes.  I could have stayed to watch the dancers and performers all day--except for the heat.  

Then I came back with Derek and some of my siblings and mom for the concert & fireworks.  The kids wanted to stay and hang out at the house.  It had cooled off enough that it was lovely.  (Ben later was sad, because he didn't realize that the fireworks were after the concert--and I'd only asked if he wanted to come to the concert...and that is true...but it was nice to have an adult evening.)

Derek made a 4th of July Pavlova.  It was delicious! Nothing says American Independence like an Australian dessert! 

Lagoon DAY!

We had family pictures on Friday morning, when we all got to Centerville.  We couldn't get everyone due to the COVID infected family.  But we got some good shots of the families who could come.  Then, after an early lunch at Pace's Dairy Ann (the best!) we headed to Lagoon. 

My kids said a hard no to Lagoon-a-Beach this year.  The water is too cold.  The ground is too hot.  They were definitely reconsidering as we walked around in the near 100 degree heat.  But in the end, we had a fun day riding rides.  Sometimes with cousins and often on our own.  Derek and I ducked out after dinner and the kids stayed with a bunch of the other adults.  Whew--boy were we tired! 

Team GOAT (meaning the sheep go home and the GOATS stay to close the place down.)

Yellowstone!

Yellowstone is so beautiful.  I really enjoyed our Yellowstone day...sort of.  

What went well--we all made it to Old Faithful together.  Got souveniers taken care of and saw the geyser do it's thing. 

We had fun in the car (once Derek and Dave moved on from politics) playing "Inky Pinky."  So fun.

I loved seeing the different pools and the Grand Canyon.  Especially the Grand Canyon! 

What went less well:

We didn't see much wildlife.  A couple of elk and a few bison. 

It was really hot.

Libby refused to get out of the car for most of the stops.

Then Sarah refused to get out of the car for the last stop after having a meltdown at the 2nd to last.

It turns out that most mud pots and hot pools look similar.

We passed some spots we would really have liked to see on the way to the Old Faithful meet up and never got back there.

I think we won't need to come back...maybe ever. 

Grand Canyon was amazing! 

Libby finally coming out of the car to see the waterfall at Grand Canyon

The scary dragon's mouth!  (Also a fav of mine)

See the bison? 

Another bison. 

Old Faithful! 

Anxiously awaiting Old Faithful

The mint chocolate chip ice cream--this time (unlike when we were kids) no one dropped theirs in the gravel. 

Island Park Adventure 2021

 Notice that 2021 in the title? That's because this was so fun that I REALLY want to do it again!  

This spring I suggested to Derek that we rent a cabin near Yellowstone before we headed to Utah for the 4th of July.  He suggested we invite my family.  I jumped right on that! We found and rented a HUGE cabin that slept 28.  It was so fun to have almost everyone together (of course one family got COVID that week--so couldn't come).  

It was right on the reservoir.  So we rode the wave runner, floated in tubes, splashed in the water--and enjoyed good food and good company.  We ended the evening with a talent show of sorts.

Day 2 we went into Yellowstone (which gets it's own post).

Day 3 was pack up and head home.  Just the right amount of time! 

We made the drive to Island Park in 2 days.  I booked a hotel that looked nice and ended up being SEEDY in Spokane. But the kids and Derek got to swim when we arrived, so that was a highlight for them since it was 105 degrees outside.  I started to get worried that I might have also missed on the cabin rental.  But that was a bullseye, grand slam.  It was perfect.  See the cabin HERE. 

Libby's favorite thing was the wave runners.  By far.  She drove one every chance she got.  She had a little trouble parking at the dock (almost running aground and having to jump out and walk it to the dock--as well as chewing some gravel into the engine once or twice.) But it was her jam! 

Ben also loved it. He got to drive several times, but always with a grown up to assist.  Next year he'll be ready on his own. 

Sarah's favorite thing was swimming.  She was mostly a passenger on the wave runner, but maybe did drive--I'm not sure. 

Emily was her swimming companion for almost the whole time. 

Derek loved that Reagan loved him!  He was her favorite dance partner during the after talent show dance party.  She let him read to her, play with her, etc.  She wanted nothing to do with me.  Haha. 

The girls

The whole family on a trip together.  Wow.  Who knew this could happen!

Libby also loved the beautiful surroundings for photo ops.  She got Sarah in on the fun. 

Ben and Derek on the wave runner. 

Proof that even I got (at least part of my body) in the water. I'm in the tube with the stylish hat on. 

Derek doing pushups with Devin on his back. 

Derek swimming. He got the worst pool nose ever.  Snore city.  Ugh. 

The boys.  Ruger got really into his Pretty Pretty Princess crown after they played the game.  Adorable. 

Full group picture to come (hopefully). 

It was definitely time to go home, as all the younger kids were melting down. But it was an amazing trip! 

Celebrating Grandma Susie

 

Derek was raised by 2 moms.  His own mom Geneva, and Parental Unit #4 from next door.  Susan was his mom's bestie--and her sons were Derek's buddies.  Susie mothered Derek and then became Grandma Susie to all of the Norton grandkids.  When she passed away last week--Ben discovered for the first time that she wasn't actually related.

She will be missed!  She was a croc lover, like myself.  So we all wore crocs for her funeral. 

Our family sang "A Child's Prayer."  We got a little choked up...but we rallied and made it through.  

I got to create the slide show of her life.  It was a lovely experience to reflect on how much we loved Grandma Susie and on how much she loved life! I'm so thankful to know that families are forever--I believe that applies even to "adopted" family members in one way or another! 

Ben's favorite part of the after party was playing with Margo, who flew in from Chicago with Paige.