Welch Family Reunion

 The Welch reunion was a blast!  Heber Valley Camp is the perfect spot to hold this.  There were 48 of us total.  Sandy did a great job organizing even though she just had surgery and is healing slowly.   She put together an awesome baby picture poster of all 88 of us.  The game was to guess the baby pics. I missed 20. Jane won.. she only missed 4.  It was fun for all of the kids to gather around and ponder and guess. The only 3 obvious ones were Laila, Alex and Gabe.

We all went on the zip line course…. In the rain.  I was so proud of Laila and the younger cousins who did the zip line.  You have to be in a harness, climb up a telephone pole then figure out how to step off on to another pole… walk across it like a circus performer to another pole where  a missionary worker puts you on the zip line.  Then you go sailing off.  It’s actually really fun…and scary all at the same time.  If you are good at rock climbing and know to trust the equipment…it’s not scary at all.  I don’t know to trust yet… my heart was pounding out of my chest as I scooted across the pole.  Even Wayne walked the “tight rope” and didn’t fall. He knew he had to do it fast or he would.  We all did this in pouring rain.  We were drenched but happy.  We had to dry out jackets out over the propane grills when we got back.
 The thing that touched me so much about the zip line experience was the missionary sister who checks your gear before you climb up. She compares it all to the gospel.  Putting on the armor of god, and holding to the rod, and walking out with faith.  It was beautiful.

The other fun event was the giant swing.  You are harnessed up again, then they pull you to the top of a pole where you let go of  a rope and go swinging out.  IT’s so much fun!!!    We all voted that we should put one of these at the Welch family cabin. So freeing and you just have to scream for joy.  My face hurt from smiling so much.  We did this in almost rain.  We kept doing the “sun dance” to keep the drops from falling.  At the end the rain came so we hurried back to camp wearing garbage bags to keep dry.

 We played lots of fun games:  quarter slap, squeeze hands- bottle grab, cards, zoomie-zoommie.  Slept in bunk bed cabins with cousins.  Did Minute to win it activities.  Played in the rain.  Ate lots of food and treats….especially fresh peaches.  Had devotionals and learned a unique fact  about each family member to help get to know family members better.  We watched old videos and even sang  We are the Cabin Singers.  Wayne had fun being the Monster or the Bear and playing with/ scaring  all of the little  great grandkids.  It rained a lot…. But we were under a covered pavilion and stayed dry.

The highlight was just being together.  Not everyone could make it…and that was sad, but we were thankful for the ones who did.