Family Reunion
Well, it's definitely time for a catch-up on the old blog. I'm embarrassed that this blog has been neglected in the attic of my life for the last year. So much has happened and sadly much will go undocumented. But I will try my best to catch up on some of the highlights and write about some of the important experiences we've had this year.
First up, our Holding Family Reunion!
My sister, Kolette, was in charge of planning this year's reunion and I daresay the rest of us are scarcely able to imagine outdoing her meticulously planned and action-packed party. She did such a good job that we may just make her the permanent planner for all of our reunions. With the exception of Kami's family (who was so so missed), we all flew to California and drove up through the winding mountains to Bass Lake, a gorgeous and quiet lake just outside of Yosemite National Park. We rented two houses right on the water, with three private docs, a water trampoline, waterslide, a deck with a pool table, and a huge backyard. Each family had separate rooms and bathrooms. It really was the perfect location to comfortably host so many people.
There was a cute little village right down the road from our cabins, with grocery stores and boutiques.
The back of the cabin.
This beautiful dock was the spot for lots of longs talks and sun bathing.
The little ones did a lot of exploring.
And tickle monsters were lurking around every corner.
Fishermen were baiting their hooks.
And patiently waiting for a big one to bite.
And boy did they bite.
These girls sure had fun together, but they missed their girl cousin co-conspirators, Jessica & Sariah.
The boys got in a little football time in the backyard. As you can see from their slightly frightening facial expressions, we have competitive blood in our veins.
We practiced our toe-touches on the trampoline. Clearly we need to work on this one's form :)
And perfected our flips.
But most of our time was skipping along the choppy water on the boat.
Lots of early morning wakeboarding.
This little one, only three-years-old, was the bravest of the bunch.
I felt a little nervous as I watched her bumbling on the water, hanging onto the handles for her life.
And then my heart trampolined into my throat when I captured this through my lens. Even if she still managed to keep her front teeth, I thought, surely she'd be too terrified to ever ride a tube again.
And yet her little head popped out of the water with this victorious smirk. Little daredevil...
She's not the only one whose courage was tested.
And despite the looks of terror on their faces, they had an absolute blast.
At least most of them did...note Jane's utter despair.
Some of the adults went out for evening wake boarding runs while the children were bathing and getting ready for bed. Travis was doing exceptionally well, reliving his younger glory days. But he got a little cocky and tried to do the old flippity flip. This is the moment right before the crash that badly sprained his ankles.
Luckily there's a doctor and a nurse in the family.
I thought I'd document my awesome wake boarding skills. I get up and can hold on for a while, mind you. But I'm so scared of crashing and burning that I deftly apply my skills of letting go of the rope, plugging my nose, and slowly sinking in to the water. I'm smart...not a sissy :)
The boys refined their billiards skills.
And the kids giggled nonstop at Yogi the Bear during the movie night on the lawn.
Halfway through the week we decided to make the journey up to Yosemite. The road was long and winding and Lindsay's gold mini van got a little tuckered out halfway through. Thankfully she had the presence of mind to buy jumper cables before heading up the mountain.
We had no idea how carsick the drive would make all of us. This little one blew some lovely chunks both up and down the mountain.
But it was all worth it when we got to the top of the mountain and caught our first glimpse of Half Dome. It was absolutely breathtaking!
Since most of the family was gathered, we decided to take the opportunity to get some professional pictures taken. I wish my photoshop skills were refined enough to get Kami in this photo. It just wasn't the same without her.
The whole gang.
Our family of two :)
Our reunion this year was so wonderful. It was a much needed breath of fresh air both literally and symbolically. It marked the official end of my employment with Nintendo, a break from Blair's busy residency schedule, and a refuge from the difficult trials that painted the months prior to the reunion. As I went running with my sisters early in the morning, I felt like my soul was finally being wrung out - as if the cool mountain air was finally opening up my lungs and letting me breathe out the grief that was keeping me from feeling alive. I think all of us needed this reunion in one way or another. I needed to be around my family for the first time since losing two babies. I needed their laughter, their shoulders to cry on, their love and warmth. We are far from perfect - a typical family in many ways. But we are each others treasure and we couldn't ask for more.
First up, our Holding Family Reunion!
My sister, Kolette, was in charge of planning this year's reunion and I daresay the rest of us are scarcely able to imagine outdoing her meticulously planned and action-packed party. She did such a good job that we may just make her the permanent planner for all of our reunions. With the exception of Kami's family (who was so so missed), we all flew to California and drove up through the winding mountains to Bass Lake, a gorgeous and quiet lake just outside of Yosemite National Park. We rented two houses right on the water, with three private docs, a water trampoline, waterslide, a deck with a pool table, and a huge backyard. Each family had separate rooms and bathrooms. It really was the perfect location to comfortably host so many people.
There was a cute little village right down the road from our cabins, with grocery stores and boutiques.
The back of the cabin.
This beautiful dock was the spot for lots of longs talks and sun bathing.
The little ones did a lot of exploring.
And tickle monsters were lurking around every corner.
Fishermen were baiting their hooks.
And patiently waiting for a big one to bite.
And boy did they bite.
These girls sure had fun together, but they missed their girl cousin co-conspirators, Jessica & Sariah.
The boys got in a little football time in the backyard. As you can see from their slightly frightening facial expressions, we have competitive blood in our veins.
We practiced our toe-touches on the trampoline. Clearly we need to work on this one's form :)
And perfected our flips.
But most of our time was skipping along the choppy water on the boat.
Lots of early morning wakeboarding.
This little one, only three-years-old, was the bravest of the bunch.
I felt a little nervous as I watched her bumbling on the water, hanging onto the handles for her life.
And then my heart trampolined into my throat when I captured this through my lens. Even if she still managed to keep her front teeth, I thought, surely she'd be too terrified to ever ride a tube again.
And yet her little head popped out of the water with this victorious smirk. Little daredevil...
She's not the only one whose courage was tested.
And despite the looks of terror on their faces, they had an absolute blast.
At least most of them did...note Jane's utter despair.
Some of the adults went out for evening wake boarding runs while the children were bathing and getting ready for bed. Travis was doing exceptionally well, reliving his younger glory days. But he got a little cocky and tried to do the old flippity flip. This is the moment right before the crash that badly sprained his ankles.
Luckily there's a doctor and a nurse in the family.
I thought I'd document my awesome wake boarding skills. I get up and can hold on for a while, mind you. But I'm so scared of crashing and burning that I deftly apply my skills of letting go of the rope, plugging my nose, and slowly sinking in to the water. I'm smart...not a sissy :)
The boys refined their billiards skills.
And the kids giggled nonstop at Yogi the Bear during the movie night on the lawn.
Halfway through the week we decided to make the journey up to Yosemite. The road was long and winding and Lindsay's gold mini van got a little tuckered out halfway through. Thankfully she had the presence of mind to buy jumper cables before heading up the mountain.
We had no idea how carsick the drive would make all of us. This little one blew some lovely chunks both up and down the mountain.
But it was all worth it when we got to the top of the mountain and caught our first glimpse of Half Dome. It was absolutely breathtaking!
Since most of the family was gathered, we decided to take the opportunity to get some professional pictures taken. I wish my photoshop skills were refined enough to get Kami in this photo. It just wasn't the same without her.
The whole gang.
Our family of two :)
Our reunion this year was so wonderful. It was a much needed breath of fresh air both literally and symbolically. It marked the official end of my employment with Nintendo, a break from Blair's busy residency schedule, and a refuge from the difficult trials that painted the months prior to the reunion. As I went running with my sisters early in the morning, I felt like my soul was finally being wrung out - as if the cool mountain air was finally opening up my lungs and letting me breathe out the grief that was keeping me from feeling alive. I think all of us needed this reunion in one way or another. I needed to be around my family for the first time since losing two babies. I needed their laughter, their shoulders to cry on, their love and warmth. We are far from perfect - a typical family in many ways. But we are each others treasure and we couldn't ask for more.
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