Anderson Family Reunion

July brought the Anderson Family Reunion.  My own immediate family did a short reunion a few days before the big extended family reunion.  We tried to pack as much fun as possible into a few days.  

We played at Jordanelle Reservoir near Park City, Utah.

We celebrated Brent and Kris' birthdays.  Couldn't ask for two better brother-in-laws.  I was especially loving Brent's t-shirt with a deer on it:)

Ian got much of our family to raft down the Provo River!  We had a few harrowing experiences but mostly had a blast.   

I was so happy to get to spend a whole week with my adventure buddy!  

The extended family Anderson Reunion was held near Park City, Utah.  All 112 members were able to attend except for one cousin and his wife who had just had a baby a few days before and a cousin on a mission for our church.  Ian and I helped cook the 4th of July breakfast. 

We played family reunion games.  This one is Minute to Win It.  

My sister Whitney competing in cup stacking.

My dad and Uncle Todd grilling up burgers for the BBQ that night. 

Ian and I feeling patriotic.

The two people (Grammy and Grandpa) who started this family.  So glad we got to see them again.  They have created one great family!

The 4th of July program eventually turned into a dance party.  Ian was a favorite dancing partner of the nieces because he would swing them around.

We traveled that night to see the fireworks in Midway, UT.  We were in Colorado last year for the 4th of July and because of fire restrictions, no one was able to set off fireworks so it was extra fun for me to see them this year. 

More cousin time in the pool.  

Sisters.

Waterslides with nephew Jordan.

Brother-in-laws.

For those who don't know the Anderson family, our family reunions have become more like corporate events.  Each of my dad's siblings takes a turn putting it on.  It is a few days packed with fun and memories.  Most everyone (we're talking over 112ish people) is able to make it for at least a  part of the reunion.  I have so many happy memories of family reunions growing up and time with cousins.  It is a time to remember where I come from.  I will always be proud to be an Anderson.

Fall Happenings

Here are a few things we've been up to lately....

For Ian's birthday we drove down to Santa Monica and got dinner along the beach.  Hors d'oeuvres were bread and cheese and Henry Weinhardt root beer (a little odd I know, but they are Ian's favorites).  

I went to Salt Lake City for Conference Weekend.  It was nice to spend time with family and as always, the weekend went so fast.  Almost all the sisters were together (we missed you Jennie). 

I got to babysit my darling nephew.  I was tempted to sneak him home with me.  

We stayed with my Anderson grandparents.  We always get the royal treatment at their house.  

This picture is a little bit unrelated but last year I made this costume for my little brother Nathan to wear for Halloween.  Kristen will be showing it off to her middle school students this year.       

The buzz this last week in Los Angeles was the space shuttle Endeavor making its way to the science museum.  Last weekend drove to see it as it was being pulled through the streets of LA.  This is as close as we were able to get but still very cool.      

July 4th Family Reunion

On our way down to a family reunion, we stopped in Bryce Canyon for a day to hike around the park with my parents and Whitney and Nathan.  It was very hot, but pretty scenery.  

Over the 4th of July we had an Anderson family reunion in southern Utah at Zion Ponderosa Ranch and Resort.  Almost all of the 102 Anderson relatives were there.  Here is my family with my grandparents.  

A siblings shot.  It was great to have the whole family together including Jennie and Scott and their girls who live in China.  

We did many fun activities including swimming, 

going on the zipline (Ian was feeling patriotic on this run with an American flag)

trampoline jumping (I couldn't resist putting in this picture of my mom doing flips on the trampoline-  a two time cancer survivor and Grandma still flipping on a trampoline.)

Mini golfing with cousins.

Some of the girl cousins went paint balling. Girl power!

While we were playing capture the flag paint ball style, Lindsay and I relived our glory days when we captured the flag together and won the paint balling game for our team!

 One day we spent hiking the Subway in Zion National Park with some cousins.  

We spent another day in Zion National Park hiking the narrows with just my family.  Here is some of the group.

My family headed down to St. George, Utah where we spent the next couple of days playing and learning about family history.  We found the graves of some of our ancestors.  

 

We took a trip to the St. George Tabernacle.  One of my mom's cousins helps run the tabernacle and he took us to the top of the bell tower.  We got to see the old clock and a view from the very top of the tower.

Pardon the awkward photo.  We were trying to get a nice picture at the top of the clock tower, but I was afraid of falling down three stories and there wasn't much room to stand, so it just turned out awkward.

Inside we learned about the story of my two great great great great grandfathers working on the tabernacle and building this staircase.  

We also saw the St. George temple.

 We had a great time seeing our family in southern Utah.