It has been a busy month and has just started to slow down a bit this week. The warm weather continues and the forests and vegetation are in great need of moisture as fires have been prevalent throughout the province and throughout the world. Summerland and Peachland were evacuated in the Okanagan.
Well, the highlight of these past weeks has been our Walker Family Reunion in Montana. We have been talking about it and planning it, for months, from arranging for accommodations for 31 people, to selecting a logo to go on the ordered sweatshirts and determining appropriate activities. Larissa certainly did the lion’s share as she provided their guest house by their home, allowed us to book their mountain cabin as well as booking an additional nearby condo, ordering the sweatshirts at discount from her friend and shopping for groceries to fill the fridge and cupboards. She suggested activities and made things happen. I so appreciate her efforts and I know everyone enjoyed themselves because of all she did.
Let me walk you through our comings and goings of the reunion. Cindy, Paul and Max’s family set out on July 30th (Tom’s birthday) for Spokane. I left a little later, in my car, with Jack and Sam. I had the car gassed and charged and lunch packed. Spokane was our goal as well. I was driving when we finally got to the very slow moving boarder crossing and the guard asked what we were taking across to leave and I said “Just Edibles”, meaning fruit bars from Costco that the children like and painkillers for Trevor and Tammie. The guard kinda smiled and Jack started to laugh and said, “She means like snacks and bananas.” I was distressed and insisted we did not have fruit. He put a yellow card an our windshield and sent us to the inspection center. The dog had to be put in a kennel and we were sent into a holding area with many other people to await the outcome. I was afraid they would be upset with the two bottles of painkillers that are not sold in the USA. Finally they came and told us we could go. We freed the dog from detention and got back into our car. Once inside, Sam calmly said, “Just for future reference, you might not want to use the word Edibles at the border.” Apparently that word refers to marijuana put in baking. I hope they haven’t tagged me. My family thinks I am hilarious. I am just not up to date.What can I say! BUT, oh wait, it gets better. We had made it out of the pokey and were now travelling thru Bellingham, Mount Vernon and approaching Marysville and I am telling the boys about Grampa and I having a tire blow while travelling this stretch years before and suddenly our front right tire blows. Oh no! I got the car pulled over first to the left and then across all the lanes to the right. We took everythIng out of the back and no spare tire to be found. We finally had to call roadside assistance who sent a tow truck. When he arrived, he told us to stay in the car and suggested Jack drive it up the incline onto the flatbed and next thing you know we are bouncing along the freeway, in our car while on the tow truck flatbed. I am certain that is not legal in Canada. It was now close to 7:00 pm and the tire shop had kindly agreed to remain open for us. The tire was blown to pieces and the cause was unknown. Tire removed, new tire put in place and about $1,000 later, we set out for Spokane once again with Jack driving. I had the boys get something eat after getting the tire fixed and I ate some of what we had in the car. Dear dog Kona was just along for our crazy ride. Life with Gramma!! We made it to our Air BNB in Spokane around 2:30 am in one piece, I think.
Jack and Sam drove us on to Whitefish the next day. No drama involved. We were the first to arrive as Cindy’s group had stopped at Trader Joes and Costco. More groceries! Ross and Sarah arrived too. The Bull family served us BBQ that evening and, those that were there, settled into the Bull’s lovely mountain cabin. The next morning Rissa and I picked Zach and Mo up at the airport, Liza’s family arrived and we all went up on the chairlift to the mountain top. Some took the mountain sleds down and the young boys did the ropes course. Trevor, Tammie and Trey arrived after flying into Spokane and driving over. The Walker family stayed in the extra condo nearby. The Hardy family made dinner and kids did games and puzzles. Sunday we all went to Sacrament meeting then home for Walker family to do brunch. Justin’s family arrived having flown into Missoula and driven up and Bryson arrived, driving down from Alberta. We were finally ALL there except our Breya who was writing finals. We all made our way to the Shockey family’s ranch where everyone contributed to a lovely dinner eaten on tables Rissa and the boys had set up by the old barn. The photographer came and did all the pictures before dinner. Beautiful setting and beautiful family. I was so grateful to have all of them there. I had a little time with them in the evening back at the cabin to express my feelings and Tom’s. Love them all so much. On Monday we went into to town to walk around. Liza and Brendon ran into town from the guest house where their family was staying. We then went to the lake in the afternoon. Some swam, some went on paddle boards and some sat on the beach. Our children took me out for dinner in the evening to the golf club and we ordered pizza for all the grandchildren. They were busy playing a spirited game when we returned. Tuesday, Scott had to work and the rest of us drove to Glacier National Park. Some of the boys jumped off a bridge into the river while awaiting their river rafting appointment. Me, Max, Jacqui, their children, Cindy Paul, Sarah and Hansen, Trevor, Tammie, Jadyn, Treyson and Jaxon all went for lunch while the rest went river rafting. We all had a good time. The Burgess family made dinner that night and Trevor’s family drove to Spokane which now had a fire burning. The rest stayed until Wednesday and started to move out in various directions. The Hardy family went to Alberta for a Hardy reunion. Liza and Sayde drove home while Brendon and the boys made an overnight stop at an amusement park. Justin, JayLynn, Jadyn and boys stayed another day, now in the guest house. Mo, Zach and Sam drove with me the full distance to Vancouver. We took the Canadian route home and crossed the border without incidence,
This was Mo’s first time to the Pacific Northwest and they came this time to attend Zach’s hockey friend Colton’s wedding on Vancouver Island. We picked up groceries on Thursday and got the car washed in the morning. We went to explore Fort Langley in the afternoon and go to the cemetery to visit the Tom’s grave. Zach wanted to go to the North Shore on Friday. We went to see our home, they climbed the Grind while Kona and I waited at Cleveland Dam. I took them back to the Dam after they got back down and we went to West to see GG’s, the Sea Wall and have lunch. They were up early the next morning to catch the Horseshoe Bay Ferry to the island. I served in the Temple on Saturday and Bryson, Keaton and Sayde arrived for FSY. Bryson went to the airport to pick up his girlfriend Alia and brought her back so we could celebrate Sayde’s 15th birthday. The two of them went up to UBC to prepare as leaders for FSY. The two younger children spent Sunday with me and we got them ready for the camp. Zach and Mo returned and had dinner with us before taking the red eye home to New York that night. I drove the children to UBC Monday morning and suddenly I was alone. I got to cleaning things up and getting things done thru the week.
When I got back from the Temple the following Saturday, I was surprised to have not only Bryson, Keaton and Sayde here but Breya and Liza too. It was so wonderful to see Breya. She was our missing link at the reunion. She and Liza had come down to do a hike and surprise me. So fun. They all left in two cars after church and brunch on Sunday, that is to say after our neighbor Kirk got Liza’s dead battery charged. That is another story.
Back to more routine this week. Max, Jacqui, Aksel and Astrid fly home to Australia later tomorrow. What a month it has been. How I love my family and how I appreciate the mountains they moved in their lives to come together this month. We missed not only Breya but Halle, Anderson and Tom. Oh, how I love them ALL!
