Greetings Everyone,
We are getting some details in place for our next family reunion. When: Thursday and Friday, July 4 & 5, 2013. Where: Strawberry Reservoir near Heber City, Utah. We have reserved a large group site with water, electricity to the shelter and a restroom. (Can't say at this time what kind of restroom--will get back to you later with that info.) You can google Utah campgrounds--Strawberry Bay, PAV 1. We can check in at 1 pm on Thursday and will be on our way around noon on Saturday. There will be a group family photo shoot at Wasatch State Park around 7pm Saturday. The photographer recommends that we all dress in jeans with solid long-sleeve tee shirts in dark blue, green, grey or black. It will really make a big difference in the finished portrait if all of us dress this way--it makes the faces so much more visible. Shoes should be dark, as well and can be sandals. His work is the best and I know we will all cherish this mememto of our reunion. (Impact Photography in Heber City.)
We need to have volunteers for meals. 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches and 2 dinners for 63 people. 2 families could do a meal together and 2 could provide some snacks.
Then, let's all submit suggestions for activities. The camping site is close to the water so water games might be fun. We will need ideas for spiritual, financial, family history, health, etc. Just let those ideas flow!
I know you will have lots of questions, start thinking and we'll do our best to work out the answers.
Dad and I are so excited to have all of your together with us again. It has been such a long time--too long. We are praying that all the obstacles will be easily removed with love and patience. Let us know you thoughts and feelings.
With much love, Mom and Dad

I just read an inspiring article from Mormon Times (part of the Deseret News here in Utah) about a family reunion. It talked about how this particular family (numbers in the 800 people) used their pioneer heritage as a theme to their reunion last summer. Such activites as learning to sew, make ice cream, build forts, family history lessons were what the reunion centered their time on. It was in a remote camp without cell service but had running water and all the real necesseties. This family also had the reunion catered which sounded to me like heaven. Anyway, what struck me was the time and energy put in for the children and teenagers to learn amazing skills. Anyway, I got to thinking about a reunion for next summer. I would like to have some input as to what everyone would want to do. Maybe suggestions on areas to look into and what days in the summer would work best. It would be awesome if we could get somewhere remote that has a facility but if we need to cut costs and be at the Todds house. I mean the Grossnickles. Let's get planning!

We were buying some street food and Jason asked (in Thai) if they had
change . The lady said she did and then spoke really quickly saying
something I didn't understand. I think she expected us not to but
Jason is quick and realized she said, "Maybe I don't have change and
you could just give me a tip." Jason laughed and responded to her
quip. She blushed and laughed, and then after she gave us the food
and the change Jason gave her a tip. They don't routinely expect
tips here so when you give one it is very appreciated.

We drove the tuk tuk outside the gates of our neighborhood for the
first time. Traffic is a little scary and crazy here. We went to a
Thai massage place within walking distance from our house. We got a
two hour Thai massage for $7.50 each. It was fabulous! They don't
just rub the muscles, they stretch them out and pull on your joints to
help you loosen up. They walk on you, use elbows to dig into the
muscles, and sometimes use their whole body weight for leverage.
Jason and I were in the same area that was curtained off. They gave
us loose fitting clothing to wear for the massage. The two girls
talked to each other in Thai in whispers at first and then gradually
expanded into a full fledged conversation. We didn't complain and
they chatted and gossiped away. I was curious to know how much Jason
understood and we had a laugh afterward that they had no idea that he
spoke Thai. Jason enjoyed hearing local Thai spoken and although he
didn't follow all of the conversation he knew enough to gather that
some of it was about us Farong (foreigners). One of the girls
answered her cell phone and rubbed my back with one hand for awhile.

I went to a Thai supermarket today. It was as big as a Costco. It is
challenging to know what things are because the local products are all
in Thai. You have to look at the pictures and try your luck. I have
gone before with friends who know what some things are and helped me
out. There are so many interesting things. The eggs are not
refrigerated because naturally eggs have a coating that protects them
and we wash that off in the U.S. The meat is out on these huge open
trays with ice under them. There are all kinds of seafood and meats
that I don't even recognize. They have all kinds of parts of the
animal available that we don't have in the states too like pig heads
and chicken intestines that look like worms. They have lots of dried
meats and seafood in big open barrels. There are all kinds of fruits
and vegetables which I don't know the names of yet. They import
things from all over. I took a taxi there and back and the taxi
driver helped me load and unload the groceries. I gave him 20 baht to
say thanks. Cup Coon Ka.

We went to the pool for the first time last week. It was so hot! The
water was lukewarm and didn't really cool us off. Jason said the
water cools off at night so the morning is the best time to swim.
There were slides and diving boards and a children's pool with partial
shade over it. There are black decorative tiles set in patterns
around the pool which get so hot! I kept reminding the kids to put on
their sandals when they were outside the pool. I noticed a stainless
steel cover by the children's pool and guessed that it would be hot to
the touch so I pointed it out to the kids not to walk on it. When I
wasn't looking Justus ran on it and screamed that he was hurt. We put
him in the pool for awhile and carried him home. That afternoon he
had blisters on his feet and it hurt to walk. But being the quick
healer that he is; was fine the next day with no more blisters!

We went to a 'Welcome the Newcomers' party on Friday. We had
hamburgers, hotdogs, baked beans, salads, soda and desserts. These
foods are really expensive and hard to find here. I guess we haven't
been here long enough to appreciate it and would have preferred Thai
food. There was Mango sorbet that was really good though. It was fun
meeting new people and finding out what people who have been here
awhile like about Thailand. One lady loves to go to rock concerts and
thinks it is so strange that the Thai sit quietly during the music and
politely clap when each song is over. Our neighborhood is so safe
that no one has had anything stolen but people have accidentally left
their doors open when they are gone and come home to a house full of
mosquitoes.

There is a small grocery store within the community here that sells
American foods. Normal mild cheddar is $8 a pound, Hershey's candy
bars are $3 each and cold cereal is $7 a box of only 12 oz. We have
been eating oatmeal for breakfast and leftovers for lunch. We have
been avoiding refined prepared foods which I am happy about. It is
easy when those foods cost so much more than meat, veggies and rice.
We found that we miss oatmeal cookies and ice cream - is that any
surprise? and the kids miss cold cereal. I found some ice cream that
has whey in the ingredients but no milk or cream. We found that if
you mix in lime or lemon juice in it tastes pretty good. You can find
regular ice cream here but it costs a lot. We have friends that get
milk delivered and spend $100 a month for for a family of five.

We got rides to church with friends last week and this week we needed to get a taxi for half of us. We planned on having the taxi follow one of our friends cars but when Jason talked to the taxi driver he assured us he knew how to get there. He took us to a Thai church near where we wanted to go. We accidentally left the cell phone at home so we couldn't call for better directions. We walked up the street a ways hoping we could see something familiar. The sidewalks are high off the road and don't have ramps so it is difficult to push a stroller. We stopped in at a beautiful hotel called the Conrad and asked for directions. The guard took us across the hotel to the receptionist's desk and she looked online for the address. She seemed to get it right and wrote the address and even called a taxi for us. We headed out again only to go to two more churches and neither one was ours. We tried the Thai phone number that can help with directions but no luck. So we went home. At least the older three kids got to go to church today. :) We considered going to a Thai service but were worried that just being Falong would be a distraction enough not to mention the chaos of our unruly youngsters. I wouldn't want to do something wrong or disrespectful on accident. (There are rules about not pointing to or even calling attention the small temples people keep in their homes or on their land). You shouldn't point to something or someone with your foot, or touch someone's head. You should always use a quiet voice and never display strong emotion.

Yesterday Jason and I went to a huge outdoor market called the Chatuchak market. It has over 5,000 stalls of absolutely everything. It is set up in what seems like a crazy haphazard way but eventually realized that similar items were grouped together. We walked for over a half an hour before coming to one of the main roads. It was very hot in the sun but more bearable in the covered shop areas with fans. We saw pets of all shapes and sizes and all the parifanalia you need for keeping them. We saw soaps, lotions, oils, purses, wallets, bags, backpacks, shoes, clothing of all types including Thai silks. We saw decorations and art of all kinds. Western and Eastern. We saw young children playing instruments in the hot sun for donations. We saw several lame or blind men begging for sustinence -for some the only way to move was to drag themselves along by their arms.

There were food venders all throughout the market selling food made on carts. There were larger places with tables set out selling similar food. We got delicious fresh squeezed orange juice and green coconuts. We got green mango slices that have sugar mixed with fish sauce and spices on top. We tried Turkish ice cream and Jason described it like a fudge sicle only thicker. We ate a meal in an indoor mall close buy and ordered a lemon smoothie. They put salt in their citrus and lime drinks and some places will advertise 'no salt.' We realized too late that the ice in the smoothie was probably from tap water, but no worries we were fine. We got some chicken on a stick and after taking one bite Jason spit it out into the bag. I have never seen him do that (and he has tried some pretty exotic foods, no problem)! My first thought was . . spicy - but he can handle spice, then I thought maybe it was not chicken but again he wouldn't spit it out. Then I thought it must be moldy or rancid. That must be it. So I asked what was wrong. "It's a chick," he said. "I can't eat a baby animal."

We were there five hours or so walking almost the entire time. We got a 30 minute Thai foot massage for five dollars. They don't just rub your feet, they rub your calves and lift your legs to stretch them and move your ankles and toes to stretch them too. It feels wonderful! They end by sprinkling baby powder on your toes and you walk away feeling like a new person!

We didn't take the children with us and I really can't imagine taking more than one there. You could seriously get lost. It wasn't very crowded in the heat of the day but when it started cooling off crowds of people came in. I could have lost Jason if I wasn't holding on to him. Watching and listening to the people was as interesting as looking at the things for sale. The Thais are very modest people and most are wearing clothing with sleeves and shorts or dresses past the knees. Most all foreigners had tank tops etc. and that made them even more foreign. Some of the young people have more extreme styles but most are more conservative. It started pouring rain when we were indoors using the restroom. (if you want T.P you have to buy it in a vending machine for 10 baht) I only had leather sandels so I bought some cheap slippers (flip flops) to catch a taxi. We talked to two through the window who didn't know where we lived but just got in the third hoping to get him nearer to our house by a well known landmark. Turns out he was familiar with our neighborhood and got us home just fine. We were exhausted! But it was so fun to experience something so different than what we are used to. I want to go to the water market, see the grand palace and the Buddhist temples, and go to the beach.

We got our club passes and can go swimming and use the fitness center this week. It is about a 15 minute walk from our house. We have a small bike that I picked up and some scooters that we borrowed from a neighbor. The younger boys get red faced and so sweaty that they look like they just got out of the shower when they play outside for very long. Believe it or not we haven't gotten hardly any mosquito bites! We don't have any bugs in our house either and so far no geckos. Isaac really wants to find a Gecko to keep for a pet but they are considered pests by most people here.

This is our fourth day in Thailand. We love it already! The tropical
flora and fauna are spectacular. It seems like every plant and tree
has its own beautiful flower. There are bird of paradise flowers all
over our yard. We love our house, it is perfect for us. We feel so
blessed to not be in an apartment or condo.

We have been to downtown Bangkok twice. It is about an hour away. It
is fun to see the street signs and billboards in Thai. There are such
tall buildings and different sights. Like motorbikes loaded with
people and wares that weave in and out of both lanes of traffic.
Driving on the other side of the road. Markets and stalls set up in
any available space on the side of the road. Advertisements for skin
lightening products. Wildly decorated buses and bright pink taxis.
High rises with no airconditioning and laundry hanging out everywhere.
It is the start of the rainy season and the weather hasn't been too
hot. The heavy rains don't last very long and when it is over the
bugs are all in hiding for awhile.

We are adjusting to the 12 hour difference slowly. Justus and Steven
woke up at 11:30 p.m. two nights ago and 2:45 a.m. last night. They
have so much energy and act like it is time to start the day.

We have had fresh pineapple, papaya, bananas, mangosteen, asian pears
and dragon fruit. They also have very fresh greens. We ate Pad Thai
in the embassy cafeteria but it wasn't spicy. I went to a large
grocery store with a friend to stock up on household items but hope to
go to the fresh markets and get street food soon.

We borrowed a tuk tuk to get around the community. There is are
stores and a mall close by but really are out of the urban part of the
city. We can buy a membership to the pool and gym at a discounted
rate and it is a 10 minute walk from our house. The community is
gated and has guards at each entrance and parents let their older kids
play in the park unsupervised. We are looking for a vehicle to buy
but are considering using public transportation and taxis instead.

We aren't supposed to drink the water here and have a water dispenser
in the kitchen. Justus has swallowed bath water but was fine. I
don't have to do anything special when I wash produce and dishes and
none of us have had any stomach problems so far. Yea!

I will hold the reunion fee amounts that everyone has sent in a savings account to be used on the next planned event possibly 2011. If anyone would like to be reimbursed the $40 before that time, let me know. Thanks!

Per announcement, the reunion as planned has been changed. We are still inviting anyone who would like to join us Utah residents on a camping experience the same days, July 21-24, 2010. Canyonlands/Goblin Valley/Capital Reef. However, the reservation on the group campsite at Diamond Fork has been cancelled. More information to follow.

A few weeks ago (mid-Jan) Wallen went to hold his days off for the July reunion, and found out he cannot take work off.  This is very disappointing to our family.  I have some ideas up my sleeve, including possibly driving myself (yikes!) and the kids over.  We'll see.
Love to you all

Quincy

Bad news first. Turns out Tim and I won't be making it to the reunion this year :(
I know pretty sucky right. But I promise it's for a good reason

Thank you to everyone who has sent their money. We are so happy this reunion is moving forward. If you have any suggestions for activities I would love an email or a post. I think the next project will be T-shirts. We'll be asking for help on a theme so we can design the shirts. Any thoughts would be awesome. I wonder about a service-oriented theme. Like you see members with vests Mormon helping hands or something. Just a thought!

From Lisa: I got feedback from everyone except Tim and it looks like July 21-24th is a great time for the reunion. We will be reserving Wednesday through Sunday so that we can have Saturday afternoon in the group site if we want to stay past 1 pm. We can check in at 2 pm on Wednesday. We will be starting the process of assigning meals to families. I am open to suggestions if you want to double up with someone else and then be in charge of 2 meals or whatever. The main cost that I am seeing is it will run $40 per family ($100 a night for the group area). I am reserving the group site next week and will need to start the process of collecting money from everyone. As always we are open to help anyone that needs assistance just let me or Mom know. The due date for money due will be September 30th. We will be assigning activies to people as well so there might be some extra costs next year as well as the cost for a t-shirt. Get excited because you will be amazed how wonderful this campsite is for our family!

I've been thinking about the next reunion and I just what make a point to say that I'm still 60% sure it will be in Capital Reef the 3rd week of June. I can't make reservations until January of the same year so Mom's been checking out other options closer to home like in Utah County. There are some great canyons around the Wasatch Front. My opinion about having it in Southern Utah is still strong yet I hope to include something for the Todds amongst the festivities. Those are my thoughts, any opinions would be greatly appreciated.

It's on my blog, but I thought I should put it here too.

Time Out For Women this year will be
Friday evening, October 17th, 6:30 to 9:30
and Saturday, October 18th, 8:45 to 3:45

For those that were able to attend May of 2006, know that this is an AWESOME experience that you are sure to enjoy!

Prices this year:
Saturday ONLY: $44
Friday & Saturday: $57
However, we can save $7 per ticket if we order in a group of 5 or more!!

There is also the option to purchase a lunch when you order your ticket... their Salad OR Sandwich boxed lunch is $17. On the TOFW website it says no outside food may be brought to the venue, but we all did last time??!! Maybe we'll just have to go out to our cars to eat? Or bring very large purses!!

We need to order tickets soon... these prices are good until 30 days prior, but they usually sell out before that! If we can have a tally before the end of August to buy tickets, that would be GRAND!!

Time Out for Women in Portland Schedule
Prices information

Also this year they have a Time Out for Life Seminar that will be on Friday, Oct 17th, 9:00 to 3:00. No nursing babies are allowed at the seminar. It is $79 for the seminar, or combine it with your TOFW fri&sat registration for $109.

"Burdens have the potential to exalt us, but baggage just weighs us down and wears us out. When we don’t repent, sin becomes baggage. Natural-man behaviors that we aren’t ready to give up become baggage. Worry, jealousy, and guilt are baggage. An unforgiving heart, anger, regret and pride are baggage. Resentment, the desire to retaliate, fear and insecurity create unbearable baggage. We choose whether or not to pick up baggage, and Satan loves nothing more than loading us down like pack mules."
Sheri Dew

"Life will not be free from challenges, some of them bitter and hard to bear. We may wish to be spared all the trials of life, but that would be contrary to the great plan of happiness, ‘for it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things.’ This testing is the source of our strength."
Boyd K. Packer

"Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem to lightly."
Thomas Paine

"All of us have problems. We face them every day. How grateful I am that we have difficult things to wrestle with. They keep us young, if that is possible. They keep us alive. They keep us going. They keep us humble. They pull us down to our knees to ask the God of heaven for help in solving them. Be grateful for your problems, and know that somehow there will come a solution…. Just do the best you can, but be sure it is the very best. Then leave it in the hands of the Lord."
Gordon B. Hinckley

"Having a testimony, and knowing the power that lies within His gospel will make it possible to do our very best."
Sheri Dew

"Have I imperfections? I am full of them. What is my duty? To pray to God to give me the gifts that will correct these imperfections. If I am an angry man, it is my duty to pray for charity, which suffereth long and is kind. Am I an envious man? It is my duty to seek for charity, which envieth not…. No man ought to say, ‘Oh, I cannot help this; it is my nature.’ He is not justified in it for the reason that God has promised to give strength to correct these things, and to give gifts that will eradicate them…. That is the design of God concerning His Church. He wants His Saints to be perfected in the truth. For this purpose He gives these gifts, and bestows them upon those who seek after them, in order that they may be a perfect people upon the face of the earth, notwithstanding their many weaknesses, because God has promised to give the gifts that are necessary for their perfection."
George Q. Cannon

"Charity is not an emotion or an action. It is not something we feel or do. Charity is who the Savior is. It is His most defining and dominant attribute. It is what enabled Him to endure the Garden and the cross for you and me. It is one of the things that makes Him God. Thus, when we plead for the gift of charity, we aren’t asking for lovely feelings toward someone who bugs us or someone who has injured or wounded us. We are actually pleading for our very natures to be changed, for our character and disposition to become more and more like the Savior’s, so that we literally feel as He would feel and thus do what He would do."
Sheri Dew

"Wounds such as insecurity and jealousy, resentment and fear, a propensity for anger and unforgiving heart; the healing power of charity can make it virtually impossible for us even to feel emotions common to the natural man."
Sheri Dew

Just wanted to remind you

(1) to print out the directions. Zion's Camp is 2 hours drive north of Robert and Danelle's house.
(2) check-in is at 1:00pm on Wednesday
(3) and to meet in the main lodge at 3:00pm to get your t-shirts and other goodies.

Please drive safely!

SEE YOU THERE!!!!

I just wanted some input on the weather at the Reunion. Will it be t-shirt and shorts temperatures or will we need pants and long sleeves most of the day? Does anyone know?

No fireworks are allowed at Zion's Camp. Sorry for the inconvenience, we will have lots of fun without them:)

After speaking with the missionaries at Zion's Camp this morning, they wanted you to know to follow the directions Danelle posted. If you google, yahoo, or mapquest (even GPSing) it you'll come to the wrong road and end up at a locked gate. They have since built a new road.

So here are directions beginning where I-205 and I-5 merge in Washington:

§ From there take I-5 North (96.9 miles)

§ Take Exit #104/ABERDEEN/PORT ANGELES onto US-101 N (17.4 miles) § Take ramp toward SHELTON/BREMERTON 0.2 mi

§ Take RIGHT fork onto OLYMPIC HWY S (WA-3) 2.3 mi

§ Continue to follow WA-3 Towards Shelton, WA

§ After passing the city of Shelton look for mile-post 14

§ After passing mile-post 14, turn left on Mason-Benson Road.

§ Turn right on E. Trails Road (Fire Station on the right).

§ Go approximately 2.7 miles to Trails End Drive

§ Turn right on Trails End Drive.

§ Stay to the right on Trails End Drive – Go to Crest Drive

§ Turn right on Crest Drive

§ Continue on Crest Drive to S. Coon Lake Drive

§ Take the right road around the end of Coon Lake

§ Follow signs to end of road.

So I tried this one last night and it was fabulous, it has a lot of sugar but it is very very good!

Mel's Butter Cake

Serves 14

1 cup unsalted butter, softened( I used salted didn't matter)
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 cups sifted cake flour( I used regular flour and it was fine but I did sift it well!)
1 cup half-and-half or whole milk( I used skim and it was fine!)

Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease two 9-inch cake pans and line with parchment paper; set aside.

Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on high speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl often, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. While mixing on low speed, add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl and mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla and mix well, again scraping down the sides of the bowl. Combine the salt and baking powder with the sifted flour. Add about one-half of the dry ingredients to the batter, beat on low speed until well blended, then add about one-half of the half-and-half, and beat well. Finish with the remaining dry ingredients and half-and-half, beating well after each addition.

Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake until the cakes spring back when touched lightly in the center, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes, then remove the cakes from the pans and let cool completely.

I could use some more input.
small idea -- cut and paste these questions, answer them, email it to me.

1. Do you think we'll need camp chairs at the reunion? (ie to sit on while watching the basketball tournament)
2. Should we buy some bottled water from costco?
3. What would you prefer for a breakfast: German pancakes or regular pancakes from costco pancake mix?
4. Do we need bags of ice?
5. Do you want hot cocoa and hot cider available in the evenings? (Keep in mind we'd need to buy more cups.)
6. Should we wash plates each meal, or use paper?
7. Have you paid your T-shirt cost yet?
8. Do we need to buy margarine?
9. How many gallons of milk? Do we need to provide rice milk?
10. What kind of salad dressing?
11. Just curious what kind of things would you like to do during the open hours of the reunion? (hike, sit, sing, guitar, etc)

Does anyone have any extra sleeping bags Devin and I could borrow? We don't think we'll have room in our tiny car for everything.

I am pleased to announce that our bishop gave us permission to do Kyzen's baptism at the reunion. We will be baptizing him in the lake at Jared's Landing(the smaller, more private dock). The baptism will be at 9am Saturday morning and Quincy is going to tweek the schedule for that day for us. We will all need to pitch in early that morning....like 6am...to(eat early)and get the lodge cleaned and ready so we can use it for the bulk of the baptismal service before check out time at 11am. I am shooting for the baptismal service to begin at 9am(time for clean up considered afterward!)

I am going to be asking some of you to participate in the baptismal service and we will ALL need to be dressed in church clothing so remember to bring clothes for your entire family:) Perhaps showers the night before for the kids would make it easier!


It was not our intention to "steal" the show at the reunion but I think that ending our "Covenant Hearts" Reunion on this very special note will not only be a lasting good memory for all of us but a very special experience for Kyzen and all of his wonderful cousins baptized and not baptized:) This is truly an opportunity of a lifetime. I have prayed and pondered some every long hours over this decision and I have felt very prompted to do this. My parents will also be attending ( I hope they can feel the spirit!)

Dorm 1:

Jed and Lisa and Family
Tim and Danika
Jon and Julie

Dorm 2:

Dad and Mom
Quincy and Wallen

Dorm 3:

Andrea and Bryan and Family

Dorm 4:

Jason and Stacy and Family
Emily and Joey and Family



Robert and Danelle and Family will be in their trailer and Devin and Lindsay and Family will be in a tent site.

We are going to be eating fabulously during this reunion. I am in charge of the treats each night so I will be mixing up a storm for the next couple weeks (well not really ) I am making chocolate chip and sugar cookie dough and bringing it to bake on one of the nights. I was thinking about doing another kind of cookie, maybe a peanut butter or molassas but I don't know. You can comment on that if you'd like. Then we'll be having no-bake cookies made with coconut milk and coconut and strawberry shortcake. Yumm-O~ Can't wait!!!

Here is a master list for the assignments:

Ice-Breaker Games: Mom
Skit Night: Quincy and Wallen
Morning Devotionals: Andrea and Bryan
Crafts for Kids: Emily
Service Project: Jon and Tim
Basketball tourney: Jed and Lisa
Adult Workshop: Jed and Lisa
Wed. Evening Kids Activities: Danika and Lindsay
Flag Ceremony: Mom
Family Photo: Lindsay and Devin
Time out for Women: Julie
Talent Night: Stacy and Jason
Clean up Coordination: Tim and Danika
Meal cooking and clean-up: everyone
Everything else: Quincy and Danelle

PS-- just so you know, over the course of the reunion, there are 20+ daytime hours of unscheduled time. There will be plenty of opportunities to hang out and just "be" !

Please send your T-shirt money. It's $6 per shirt. We've used the food budget to pay for the shirts, so send your $ asap so there's food!

Talent Show Notice

Please send me info on your family member's talents. I would like a complete list of individual and family talents by June 25th!

I wanted to let everyone know that we are going to give each family a time slot for the talent show. Each family gets 2 min x the number of people in the family. For example Lisa's family would have 2x6 or twelve minutes. You can use the time to do a family talent or individual talents. You don't have to use all the time if you don't want to. We have 45 members (someone correct me if I am wrong) of our family and so that would mean an hour and a half if we use up all the time. Jason will be MC ing and will introduce acts (while things are set up) which will take up some time also.

We are also having a testimony meeting following the talent show. In order to free up more time for the testimony meeting I suggested that some of the children's talents could be performed prior to the talent show during meal times. I don't know what the facilities are like or if that would work or not. What does everyone think?

Can I get addresses or email's for the grandkids that are 10 and up? I need to send out invitations for help for some project for the younger ones

1. All your assignments and duties for the family reunion will be put on paper, posted, as well as handed to you at the reunion, so you don't have to remember now when you cook or what you clean up at check-out.

2. The person in charge of an activity is also "the voice" of the activity. In addition to your (planning, bringing necessary materials, delegating, etc) during the actual reunion you will be your activity's "MC" or leader. Thought I'd throw that tidbit in.

Meal Chart

Your family is in charge of cooking and the cooking clean-up.
We will all work together to clean up the dining tables each meal.

Wednesday:
Dinner – Quincy and Wallen
Chicken and baked potato bar, broccoli

Thursday:
Breakfast – Tim and Danika
Pancakes, eggs, bacon, juice

Lunch – Andrea and Bryan
Taco soup, chips, salad

Dinner – Danelle and Robert
Chinese Chicken Salad

Friday
Breakfast – Lindsay and Devin
Eggs, English muffins, oatmeal, fruit

Lunch – Jon and Julie
Spaghetti, bread, and salad

Dinner – Mom and Dad
Hamburgers, chips, potato salad, watermelon

Saturday:
Breakfast: Stacy and Jason
Eggs, fried potatoes, juice

Snacks: Emily and Joey
Evening Treats: Lisa and Jed

disclaimer: food subject to change according to availability and funds

Click on the slide show to go to the web album. You can view a larger slide show, or download them from there. Enjoy!

Family reunion2002

Just left click on this picture and it will take you to my web album!

ZION’S CAMP
300 E Coon Drive South
P.O. BOX 1761

Belfair, WA. 98528

(360) 275-6601

From I 5 North

Merge onto US-101 N via Exit 104 (Aberdeen/Port Angeles)

Then.....

FROM: OLYMPIA AND WESTERN WASHINGTON

• Take Hwy 3 north toward Shelton
• After Shelton look for mile-post 14 – after passing mile-post 14,turn left on Mason-Benson Road.
• Turn right on E. Trails Road (Fire Station on the right).
• Go approximately 2.7 miles to Trails End Drive
• Turn right on Trails End Drive.
• Stay to the right on Trails End Drive – Go to Crest Drive
• Turn right on Crest Drive
• Continue on Crest Drive to S. Coon Lake Drive
• Take the right road around the end of Coon Lake
• Follow signs to end of road.

The T-shirts are ordered! The cost is $6 each.

Please
1. Comment here that, yes, you've been informed
2. send a check for your family's total amount to Quincy

Thanks to those who worked so diligently on this!

I have played around with this so no one is allowed to hate me ...here goes :

Dorm 1 : Lisa and Jed
Jon and Julie
Tim and Danika

Dorm 2: Mom and Dad
Lindsay and Devin

Dorm 3 : Andrea and Bryan
Quincy and Wallen

Dorm 4 : Stacy and Jason
Emily and Joey

Robert and I and our kids are staying in our RV as of today but if it changes then we will shack up with either Dorm 1 or 4 ?? Or whoever will let us in. If you all hate me so be it but this was very hard...any complaints or changes just comment and I will get to it. Please remember there are only single bunk beds and you will need to bring an air mattress if you wish to snuggle with spouse but there are pads for the bunk beds for the kids...plenty of space on the floors. We will be only sleeping in the dorms so if you are not in a dorm with your best friend I am sure you will see them at some point in the reunion...KIDDING... this was the best I could muster:) If you would like to see the inside and outside views of the dorms just go to Zion's camp .(click here)

Click on the link for zion's camp and then click on lodge and dorms and there are some really great pictures there to check out!

Here is the big (working) list of reunion activities, and those in charge of them:

Orientation and icebreakers (service missionaries from camp, Danelle, and Mom)
Daily devotionals: Andrea (and Bryan)
Skit night (Lisa and Jed)
Afternoon snacks (?)
Evening Treats (?)
Craft for kids and moms (Em)
Service Project for dads and older boys (Jon and Tim)
Basketball tournament (Lisa and Jed)
Kids evening (?)
Grown-up evening workshop (tba)
Flag ceremony (mom)
Family photo (Lindsay and Devin)
Time out for women (Julie and...)
Outdoor games (Joey)
Swimming at lake
Talent night (Stacy and Jason)
Testimony meeting (Dad)
Free time

Where there is a (?) means that there are still a number of things that need some organizing.

Just a reminder the payment is due in a little over a week. Instead of sending them to Danelle, please mail them to Quincy. We have set up an account specifically for reunion finances.

Thank you to those who have already sent your money.

Happy Reunion we go!

...pictures from our 2005 reunion? You can either put them up in a web album, or email them to me directly. Thanks in advance!
Q

"Julie (sorry not our Julie :) discovered what her personal crawl toward the Center could do for her shaky marriage--Center is the middle of this spinning saucer at theme park that the author uses as illustrations for being Christ centered--She yearned for a closer relationship with her husband, but the two of them had been judging each other's imperfections with increasing harshness. SHe was feeling neither listened to nor loved. . . And then a voice spoke to my mind and said, "If you had come unto Me, it all would have been different."
"I was astounded. I went to church; I read the scriptures often; I prayed regularly; I tried to obey the commandments. What do you mean, 'Come unto You' . . . And then in to my mind flashed pictures of me wanting to do things my own way, of holding grudges, of not forgiving, of not loving as God had loved us. . .
"I . . . did not mention to my husband anything of what had transpired. But I gave up blaming . . . And I tried to come unto God with full purpose of heart. I prayed more earnestly, and listened to His Spirit. I read my scriptures and tried to come to know Him better. Two months passed and one morning my husband said to me 'You know, we find fault too much with each other. I am never going to find fault with my wife again.' I was flabbergasted! He had never admitted he had done anything wrong in our relationship. He did stop finding fault and almost overnight our relationship become warmer and happier. Three years have passed, and still it continues to be that way!"
"What Julie found was charity. Her spiritual quest to draw closer to the Lord 'wrought a might change' in her heart, creating a desire to 'do good continually' (Mosiah 5:2). Thus her covenant relationship with the Lord breathed a spiritual life into her covenant marriage."

The Reunion theme is officially:

"Covenant Hearts"

T-shirt designers: on your mark, get set, go :)

Hi family,
Can you give me your specific thoughts on the theme "Hearts of the Children."

Answer the following, or just comment something:
1. what does "hearts of the the children" mean to you?
2. what sort of activities do you think follow the theme ? (ie subtopics for speakers, songs, games, scripture)
3. Come up with a subtopic (ie: "Hearts of the Children: reaching to our ancestors for answers")

I like the topic, I'm not sure how to fully incorporate it without your input.

Are you ready to decide on a theme?
"Covenant Hearts" or "Hearts of the children..." seem to have gotten the most comments.

These are the others that people submitted:

Our eternal Heritage
True to the Faith
Zion's Camp--Grossnickle Family Reunion 2008
Aiming for Eternity
Catching the Vision of Forever
Together Forever
Hearts of the Children turn to their fathers
Covenant Hearts

I got an email from Zion's camp and there will be 2 stakes with girl's camps up there now(bummer)...the lake will be free to us at the main dock on Friday but we have to use Jared's landing(a different dock) for wed and Thursday. The missionaries said that since there are now 2 girl's camps there when we are that we need to make sure that any boys in our group that are 12 and older stay away from the girls...whatever... I don't think we have to worry, but did you get that Stacy???( you and I are the only ones with boys that fit that age group right?)

Also, I haven't gotten it approved by my bishop yet but it is possible that we will baptize Kyzen during the reunion(we wanted to do it in the lake that is there Saturday morning...but apparently that is not acceptable so I am looking into a building that is close with a font...good luck???) I will post it when I find out for sure and I will be asking people to participate in the baptism program which we will keep simple but good...about an hour tops. I really hope this works out ( our bishop is not hot on the idea, surprise.. surprise, so if everyone could pray for this to work out I would be much appreciative!)I need to know if any families need to leave early Saturday morning or what kind of time frame we have to do this in , approval providing,so we can add it in on the schedule! Thanks all!

I think a fun activity would be to put on some happy jumpy music, and watch the little kids dance. And then we (adults) have to copy it. Three year olds have some happenin' moves, and it's actually not so easy to do them! I just tried :)
Anyway, it would be a great way to get those deep belly laughs going! And it would be fun to videotape!

lv, Q

It would not violate the techno device thing to have a cd player for games like musical chairs. What a fun idea for the kids!!!

What do the older kids(Adam, Paul, Samuel, Leavi and Jaydn) Think about being kind of counselors over the little kids(Maybe Kole Cannon and Caleb too??) Kind of like camp? Just a thought! They can come up with cool games to play and give Joey and Emily ideas for what to plan!

You all do know that 100% cotton is going to shrink like a shrinky dink right? I was wonder why the vote all migrated toward shrinky dinkyness??? Enlighten me. 50%/50% cotton poly will not shrink up(as much) and has some spring to it. I will wear whatever but the 100% cotton won't last as long either???

I will be bold here and say that I was felling like , in this world of texting and video games and the like, that we should try to keep our reunion techno free? What do you all think? Maybe Quincy can do a poll? I am not sure how to do that? Here is what I " invisioned"...Bring all the thecno stuff on the trip but lock it up in the cars, including cell phones if at all possible and just enjoy one another and spend every waking minute playing,talking, enjoying, listening, helping and being a part of the family! Let us know what you think! We will have "movie night " for the kids and maybe a room for the teens at night when the adults would like to bond, that has appropriate movies in it. This will be special time, not all the time????

You all now have access to posting, so post away!
This one is about food.
Here are my [Quincy] ideas. What are yours?

Breakfast (same stuff available every morning, going for simplicity here)
big pot of oatmeal
fruit
boiled eggs (or however you want if you cook 'em)
milk, rice milk

Dinners or Lunches
Bake potato bar
roast chicken
chili or tortilla soup
terriyaki chicken and rice
hamburgers w/ all fixings
spaghetti (rice pasta for those who don't eat wheat)
chicken soup (with broth made from roast chicken bones) and homemade rolls
pbj sandwiches
Tacos or taco salad w/ tortilla chips (Lisa's idea)

Snacks
cut vegetables (carrots, celery, cucumber, cauliflower)
watermelon
string cheese
in season fruit
boiled eggs
sunflower seeds

Desserts
strawberries and cream
cookies
gluten-free something

Here are the suggestions so far. We need more before I'll post a poll. Thanks!

True to the Faith
Zion's Camp--Grossnickle Family Reunion 2008
Aiming for Eternity
Catching the Vision of Forever
Together Forever
Hearts of the Children turn to their fathers
Covenant Hearts

Hey guys! I had a thought during my Yoga class this morning . . . What if I taught yoga class in the morning for those that want to? We could make it a 30 minute session, all we would need is a hard surface and then a towel to lay down on. What do you think?

--Lisa

12-18 yr old (3): Adam, Leavi, Paul

8-11 yr old (7): Samuel, Jaydn, Kole, Bethelle, Caleb, Elijah, Cannon

4-8 yr old (12): Rachel, Jarom, Ava, Malachi, Kyzen, Isaac, Joseph, Benjamin, Devon, Denver, Haddassah, Kaylana

0-3 yr old (9): Taggy, Steven, Jeffery, Mari, Joann, Ruthanna, Leah, Tatelin, Leina

We need someone to be a t-shirt detective and seek out options for printing a reunion shirt. Utah (aka Family Reunion Capital of the World) might have some great possibilities? Danelle has one option from her ward, the cost is $8 per shirt. I wonder if we might find a cheaper one? Then we can decide if we want one. (Personally, having a reunion t-shirt ROCKS. It adds something great to the effort of Unity within the group.)