The Hugh Family Reunion 2013

 Amy, Jan, Brent, Jonathan, DeRay, Brooke, Jeanette, Brigitte, Elizabeth

Naomi, Amanda, Ed, Karlton, Klarissa, Isaak HUGH

 The first thing I did

when my beloved family pulled out of the driveway

at 1:55 PM on Thursday August 1,

after a 2-week Utah vacation,

was dish myself up a big bowl of vanilla ice cream,

topped with chocolate and walnuts.

After washing two more batches of clothes

and hanging them on the line,

I took a long, luxurious Jacuzzi bath.

Now hungry,

I grilled chicken, creamed mixed vegetables,

heated oven-baked French fries

and sat down to eat alone

before telling anyone else that dinner was ready.

Feeding helpless children and grandchildren

is like being on the (now extinct)

Relief Society luncheon committee

not just for one meal but

two to three meals a day every day.

(Sometimes they were on their own for breakfast

or Grandpa prepared hotcakes.)

After everyone else has eaten,

you may get to sit down and eat

before you start the dishes.

I thought at least I would get

the upstairs vacuumed today

on the road to recovery

and I may yet

but I am so bone weary.

It doesn't matter how much you love them

and enjoy their company, the darlings wear you out.

Check out Isaak's new glasses!

I told my brother, DeLoy, that in the next life

I'm having my children when I'm 13

so I'll have enough vim and vigor for grandchildren.

Thank heavens Amy is extra good with children.

Our voice of reason.

This year was a particular challenge

with Brooke tiling four bathroom floors

all the time our house guests were here.

At various times,
one toilet was on the front porch;
one in the tub; one in our bedroom;

one in the guest room in the basement.

The garbage can was overflowing with torn out flooring

and other paraphernalia associated with the tiling project.

More people = more garbage, right?

Brooke was steadfast.

The first two bathrooms

Elizabeth was right by his side

designing, assisting, consulting.

Invaluable help.

Then she left to cook for Youth Conference.

He diligently plodded on with his labors

so that by the time Brent, Jan, and Family left,

Oops!  One to go . . .

three bathrooms were fully functional

and, except for the grout, finished.

Beautiful.

Love them!

The Albion Basin Adventure:

120 varieties of wild flowers at Albion Basin

 While we sat in the shade all afternoon and shooed off the Potguts.

Amy, Brent, and Jan had a grand time

canoeing down the Green River

to the confluence with the Colorado,

The Orderlies carrying her to her canoe while Doc Amy looks on.

Judy stepped on the bone of a catfish; Amy doctored her.

bringing sand home in their tents, sleeping bags, pads,

shoes, clothes, and umbrellas.

We all felt like we were on the beach.

Somewhere in there, I went Visiting Teaching

two afternoons.

DeRay was fighting an abscessed tooth

and a failed root canal

as well as his Coumadin levels.

Ed was on antibiotics with a

Staph sore on his cheek.

Believe it or not,

in two weeks, we only found three hours

when we could all be together.

Monday, July 29, from 1 to 4 pm.

We cooked traditional Dutch oven dinner

then went over to the Leavers to swim

Ed swam laps for 1/2 hour around

everyone else racing, jumping, and diving.

until Brent and Jan left for a

Lagoon Show Band reunion.

Grandpa did up all the dishes.

He thought it was a better option

than swimming.

Plus he made a promise not to turn 

the TV on in all day.

Time to eat again?

Corn dogs and rest.

In the evening, Brigitte and Isaak

planned a Treasure Hunt

down to Burton school

culminating with the prize

supplied by Grandpa

in seclusion under a large pine tree

with a secret entryway.

Amy and I thought we were going to have a break

while they were Treasure Hunting

hoping they would stay to play

until we got worried about them

but Brigitte wanted us to come down 

to take pictures so we did.

Happily.

It was so much fun.

I didn't retrieve all the clues.

Just enough to get the jest.

Clue #1

Roll, roll, roll your bones,

Gentry down the hill;

Find the next clue as you go

Life is but a dream.

Clue #2

Numbers, letters,

Here we go.

How smart can you be?

34 - 22 + 108 divided by 6 + 10 divided by 5.

The answer takes you to the next clue :).

Clue #3

Under the blue poles one day

Grandma and Karlton beat Isaak

HURRAY!

(At Thanksgiving time, Grandma was playing football with the boys

while the girls--Amy, Brigitte, and Klarissa--were gently

playing with the newborn kitty, Gnocchi.

Karlton, only about 4, who had barely dribbled the ball

on previous attempts to kick,

miraculously kicked the football over the goalpost to win the game.)

Clue #4

This one is for Johnny dear,

Give him this and the only thing he fears

is Missouri Drivers.

Clue #5

Amanda

has flame-colored hair,

Find her match to find your clue.

Clue #6

Naomi amazes everyone

as she watches science videos

on a screen like this one.

Clue #8

Klarissa

always loves sliding down.

Your next clue is not far away.

Clue #11

Remember when?

We were little

the bushes near the playground and the school

were fun in which to hide.

Clue #12

Here you are

Your very last clue.

Come find us now.

We're in a pine tree.

A big one too.

Come towards the front

WE CHALLENGE YOU!

(Good thing they were fast

or all the candy 

may have been consumed

by the designers!

That was the plan.)

Throw in the 24th;

A scrumptious BBQ at Brooke and Elizabeth's.

Elizabeth sewed a pillowcase and pill holder 

for Amanda and Naomi

when they stayed with Klarissa overnight.

Amy coveted the pillowcase and

hopes Elizabeth will make one for her.

Jonathan went on a high altitude--

for a Missouri boy--

overnight backpacking trek with his Noffsinger cousins.
We spent countless frustrating hours
looking for Amy's lost camera
as well as DeRay's GPS, converters, and car chargers.
They had a hard time pinning the losses on me
since I hadn't seen any of them
but, of course, they did as always.

Ed's trike chose this, of all times, to break in half.

Yes.  I pulled around the corner

and there was Ed standing in the middle of the road

with the back wheels upright while the front wheel

and frame were lying on the road.

By some fluke, DeRay was able to get a hold of

Brandon and get it welded together

that very afternoon.

"No charge.  You're a good customer."

And we didn't miss a day of riding our trikes.

Isaak mowed and trimmed the lawn.

He, Jonathan, and Karlton helped Grandpa

cut down trash trees and trim Evergreens.

A random act of kindness:

They had a large pile of limbs and branches

on the mow strip

when this big truck stopped and the driver

asked if they would like him to haul them off.

He opened up the back and

even helped load them.

It was green garbage day

but he didn't have to do that.
We didn't pay for the service.

Two family funerals.

And yes, Brent and Jan had a wedding.

Jonathan celebrated his 17th birthday.

Kayaking on the Bountiful ponds;

Pizza parties, Splash Pad; walks.

One evening after dinner,

we went to Castle Heights Park;

but both Klarissa and Amanda got stung by bees

before we even got through the gates.

I tried to get them to walk down to the creek

to put mud on their stings.

They insisted we go straight back home

where we doctored them with moist soda.

I have no idea if it helps but they felt very special.

Nevertheless, they still were in pain,

each requiring an ice pack,

making them very happy in their invalidism.

I'm pretty sure they had a better time

than they would ever have had at the Park.

Amanda even went to bed with hers on,

requiring me to retrieve it for my knees before I went to bed.

Brent took Jonathan bike riding

to all the roaming places of his youth

and spent hours on my computer rehab.

Old home movies; board games -

Rummikub every day with Ed is a family ritual;

Sleeping queens, Bananagrams (Naomi's choice),

Pictionary - a favorite of Isaak and Karlton.

We play none according to Hoyle;

All played by Grandma Rules, which are lax.

In Pictionary, you read the cards

until you find one you want to do

then draw it.

We couldn't get "banister" until Isaak

drew Ed's cap on the bottom post.

It's always there waiting for his daily walks.
Jacuzzi, Sauna, Puzzles from Amy's Northwest trip.

There seems to be no end to her resources.
Amy, Jan, and Naomi are ardent puzzlers.

A highlight was dividing up the

dolls, toys, books, coats, and jewelry.

With remorse, I'm closing the toy museum.

It's Amy's empire.

The grandchildren are growing up.

It's a world of laughter, a world of tears.

It's a world of hopes; it's a world of fear.

There's so much that we share

that it's time we're aware~

Being with family trumps everything, dear!