'08 Heap Reunion

Jentry, Brandi (neice)Amber(neice)holding Hayden,Erika (neice) holding Holland.

Sitting around getting ready to play cards
Sterling(very cute, Jen is bummed the cutes guys are her cousins)Jentry

Jennifer, Lexi, Brock(another very cute cousin) and Tanner.

Jen, Tiffany(neice)Jennifer (cousin on the Taylor side friends with Lexi), and Lexi

Our last trip before school starts! My family has a family reunion (my Mom's side) every year at this time, and always at the same location. It is held at Green's Peak up near Sunrise ski resort. This reunion began when my Mom was about 8 years old, there has never been a year since, they have not had it. That's a long time! It is something I looked so forward to as a child and still do. Most people think of family reunions as boring and a place to visit all your weird extended family. Well this is not the case with mine. Our extended family are people that I love dearly, (most of them) I can't wait to see them and catch up every year. This is the only time I get to see most of them, so we enjoy just sitting around visiting. So on wednesday morning, we packed up our suburban and our truck, a trailer with 3 quads, lots of camping gear and headed to the White Mountains with no room in either vehicle to spare. We stopped in Show Low to pick up my In-laws camp trailer (we will not camp without a trailer, as it rains up there so much every year, and a tent just will not cut it anymore. I think I am getting too old to sleep in a tent).

Scott took Kash for a ride and she fell asleep, so sweet, she loves to ride!

Trenton hates pictures, I tried, but he was too fast!

It seems like everyone brings at least one quad, so there are lots of rides and taking trails up to the top of Green's Peak. This year we did not get any rain at all, and that is unheard of at the reunion. We usually get so much rain, but this year was beautiful weather, although it meant for lots of dirt and dust when riding the quads. Everyone would come back covered in dirt! Most people up there had no showers so just pour water from the water barrels and wash the best you can. Leaves for some grimmy people.

This is my nephew Barry after one of those dirty Quad rides. Hillarious!!

Notice the dirt and dust all over his face.

My kids had a blast with all of their cousins. Bryn and Kash had lots of little girls to play with. They built fairy houses in the trees, found a tree that bent way over so they climbed and bounced on it for hours. We thought it was going to rain a ton (just like usual) so each of us came prepared this year. We (the girls and younger boys) each bought a pair of rain boots. Also most of the little girls had rain jackets as well. So they would wear them around at night, even without the rain puddles to jump in. They all looked so cute! I am sure that's why we didn't get any rain because this year we planned for it.

Kash, Saylor, Bryn

Kash, Bryn, Saylor, Jayden

On Friday these little girls were playing together, Bryn was holding (or trying to hold Kash she said) when she dropped her on the ground. Kashley came running to me screaming and holding her back. I thought maybe she had just scraped her back or something, so I lifted her shirt to look at her back. I was shocked at what I saw! She had a stick shoved into the side of her back. I tried to pull it out, but I couldn't get it out. I didn't know what to do, I have 2 neices who are nurses, but they were gone with all the guys exploring some lava caves about 15 miles away. I knew my cousin who's family was camped next to ours was there, she is a surgical nurse. I picked up Kash and ran to find her. Becky looked at her back and tried to pull out the stick, she could feel that it was in pretty far, and thought that the best thing to do was take her to the emergency room so the Dr.'s could numb it up, pull it out and maybe stitch it up. I was grateful she was there. (thanks Becky) Of course Scott was gone with all the guys, so we had 2 of my cousins give her a priesthood blessing. My sister was going to take me in to Eagar (about 40 min away), but we got in touch with Scott, he said he would be right there. I waited for him, then we headed to the Hospital. What an experience! Kash fell asleep on the way there, which I know was because of the blessing. She slept until we got into the emergency room. She was so good, they did an ex ray to make sure the stick had not puntured the stomach wall, or the kidney. The xray's showed it was just a superficial wound, thank goodness, (again a blessing). The Dr. Just shot her full of numbing meds then with a clamp pulled it out. It was about an inch and a half long, but the end was shaped like a needle which is the reason it went so far in. The Dr shoved a syringe into the wound and irrigated it out really good. He decided not to stitch it up in case there might be slivers from the stick, then it could stay open and work itself out. He gave Kash a prescription for some antibiotics and sent us on our way. Kash was such a trooper. She never cried after the first initial fall, except for when they were giving her the shots to numb it. We were so proud of her. The nurses gave her a teddy bear which she lovingly named sparkle diamond twinkle! (don't know why) After stopping at Sonic for an ice cream cone for Kash, we headed back to camp. Kashley never complained about it after that. I know the Lord was watching over her, and He was the reason for her being so comforted through the whole ordeal!

Picture just after it happened

We had a really good trip, lots of sitting around, eating good food, and reaquainting with eachother again. I am always sad when the reunion is over, I miss my extended family, and wish I would do better at keeping in touch with all of them. I am so grateful to be a part of such an awesome family, I love them all! I am already looking forward to next year, Cole will be home to enjoy it with us again! So til next year! No we head into another year of school!! aaagh!!

Jen and Kash, best buddies!

Crue shot his first squirrel and insisted on keeping the tail My sisters Leisha, Me and Danna!

They spent hours climbing on these tree limbs. Tucker, Jayden, Saylor, and Brynley.