Catch Up: Whiting Reunion - August 2011

Another catch up post...

Every other year, Kenny's family heads to the Whiting Reunion at their family homestead in the White Mountains of northern AZ. It's huge. As in there are a whole lot of people (think hundreds). You walk around wearing a name tag (which also serves as your meal ticket) that details your genealogy back to Edwin and Mariah Whiting.

First, a tangent: as both Kenny and I come from large, Mormon pioneer families, I live in fear of the day my grandma comes to me and says something along the lines of, "I was doing some family history and I just learned that you and Kenny are distant cousins." I'll die. Anyway, moving on.

The Whiting reunion has lots to do and see, which is great for me as I typically spend the four days wandering from my tent to the Barrett's camp to the various activities while Kenny plays horse shoes or goes paint balling.

This year we had Lola, who was just three months old. We camped as usual, but it poured rain and our trusty tent leaked. Lola was a trooper, though, and we stuck it out for the full reunion.

Now, some photos. Of course. (Please keep in mind that we were camping. In the rain. And that i had just had a baby three months prior to these photos. Thank you.)

Blue skies + fluffy clouds = happy.

At the ol' saw mill with Kenny's parents (DeAnne and Mark)
These mushrooms were even more vivid in person. I might have started humming the old Mario bros. theme song. I did, however, resist the urge to pluck them up and throw them over my head with both hands.
Pretty sure Lola is pooping in this photo. She's gonna hate me for posting this...
Grandma DeAnne and Lola
Yes, that's our Sweet Dee hanging out in a suit case in our trunk.
The set up. In our pajamas.
On our wanderings. With no make up.
Cute cousins June and Clara are in that front car. Kenny and I have a particular fondness for these girlies.
Can you blame us?

A bunch of us participated in the fun run. I have no idea how long the run is, but the altitude makes it seem like a marathon. (I don't know who took these next two photos...sorry.)

Note, this is a very small sub group of all those that actually ran. A VERY small group.

I've lost the cord to our point-and-shoot camera or I'd include photos of the "Pre-Reunion" tradition. Kenny's immediate family hits up the Biltmore in AZ for a few days of lounging poolside in one of the resort's many pools. It's wonderful. It doesn't hurt that the resort's design is heavily influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright, so walking the grounds is a bit of a dream for me. Someday I'll post those photos, although they're pretty much just us in a pool or us eating dip'n'dots at the bar - which is also in the pool. Again, it's a wonderful tradition. As much as I love to camp, the few days spent at the Biltmore might just be my favorite part of the reunion.

Here's one more of our chubby three-month-old with her dad.

Notice the name tag?