One of our August "camping" adventures doesn't technically count as camping at all since we were staying in a beautifully furnished cabin for an extended Wheeler family reunion. The destination? Beautiful Star Valley, Wyoming. Ironically enough, the countryside with mountainside in the distance looks remarkably like Cache Valley.
All of Charles and Susie's kids and grandkids were there, having traveled from Salt Lake (Justin, Brianna, Ruby, and us), Phoenix (Ben & Christy), and Chicago (Lance). The best surprise was Susie's mom, Norma Hansen, who came from Rupert. Great-grandma Hansen turned 94 just this past week.
Nine and a half decades sure didn't stop Grandma Hansen from hiking to Periodic Spring, near Afton, Wyoming.
As our youngest traveler, Ruby likewise did an excellent job hiking.
Snacks are great motivation.
Grandpa Charles agrees.
Here's Christy checking out where the water ebbs and flows from this intermittent spring.
Annika and Ruby cool off in the mountain water.
That evening we hosted a Wheeler Wobble--Color Run style. I ordered these holi powders online and was pretty pleased with the bright, fun colors.
Preparing for the color toss.
Color blast!
And no, despite the predominance of pink and blue, this is not a gender reveal party. You may need to dodge flying cups, however, since Annika chucked hers.
Next step--hose down with water to make the colors brighter.
Talia and Brooklyn look ready to wobble.
The runners are off.
The great thing about Wheeler Wobbles is that you can choose to make it whatever length course you choose. Here are some of the early finishers.
Looking great, Bri.
I'm ready for my victory charge.
Go, Eli, go!
A colorfully fun time for all.
We arrived just in time to enjoy Christy's delicious turkey sandwich line-up. With turkey, cranberries, arugula, brie, and stuffing, your sandwich has never tasted so fine.
Our next destination--a hike around Jenny's Lake. As a child, our family road-tripped through many National Parks. The horseback ride around Jenny's Lake always stuck in my mind as the most beautiful trail I'd ever experienced. Coming back, it was easy to see why.
I'm glad I got to share this special spot with my children.
Three generations of Wheeler women.
After some miles of trekking, we made it to Hidden Falls.
Justin says, "yay!"
Ben says, that was fun, but Annika and I are taking the ferry back.
After giving his wife a hug, Grandpa Charles was content to hang out at the overlook while the rest of us ventured on to Inspiration Point.
Lance and Eli made it up the mountain pretty darn quick.
A happy picture with the rest of us.
Goofy shots on the way down. Is Jason yawning?
Tickle-monster Christy attacks her baby brother. Not that Lance is so little any more.
Handsome feller.
After Jenny's Lake, we headed into Jackson Hole for some pizza.
We even caught a wild west show while the pizzas were in the oven.
After dinner, our entire group hit up the Old Time Photos. My camera-shy self was skeptical going in, but the experience was pretty darn fun.
Plus, we got some great photos out of it.
Other delightful family adventures: design your own pancakes! Justin and Brianna taught us how to pour pancake batter (regular and chocolate) into condiment bottles to make the most amazing designs.
Brooklyn and Talia made this Deathly Hallows sign. Is that what has Uncle Justin so excited?
Naw, it's the poop emoji that was created just for him.
Lots of running and biking happened while we were in Star Valley. Jason, Justin, and Lance were all training for full marathons.
Meanwhile, Eli and Talia were both training for their half. Nine miles isn't too shabby for those nine year-old legs.
This is Annika's version of heaven...
Not all animal moments were happy. Annika and Ruby found a dead bird, but with some help from Jason and Christy, they held a proper funeral. (Little did Jason know that it would be good practice for the upcoming months.)
Our last grand adventure--kayaking/tubing. Fun and memorable; just not as expected. The water was colder than anticipated, plus we flipped a kayak and nearly lost Annika downstream. Even though Annika was wearing a life jacket, it was a pretty terrifying experience as I struggled to stay upright and hold her safe in the swiftly moving current. In the end, we lost only an old flip flop. I'm grateful for answered prayers (and Uncle Ben's quick thinking under pressure as he rescued our gear.)
Last but not least, the very best part of our Star Valley reunion was gathering in the evenings to talk and listen to Grandma tell stories about her life.
Just remembering makes my heart so very happy.
2 comments:
Looks so fun!
The photos provide convincing evidence that your reunion / family gathering was a tremendous success. The old, Wild West Photos are memorable, and all the other activities look fun for all (most) ages. So fun and special!
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