Reunion

So---our reunion(s) was(were) a blast. But I don't have too many pictures of all the goings-on, because I was too lazy to get my camera out, though I did take quite a few with other people's cameras. I will just refer you to my sister's blog about it, and you can take a gander at the pictures on it and that will be just as good. Here it is. There are some good pictures of playing in the creek, playing on the air mattress in the water, and one of the cliff where I jumped from into the water. Which was, in fact, my favorite part of my whole trip.
I'll give you the low-down because Kami only barely mentioned it, because she didn't actually swim across with us and jump too---but I wish you would have Kami so much!!!!!
My brothers had already taken the little floatie raft and gone to the far side of the reservoir and were jumping from the cliffs. I decided I wanted to swim across but not to jump. Just to swim across. Because I love swimming in natural water and because my sisters and I had swum across when we were at girl's camp at the same place years before, and because it was there. So, my sisters Lindsay, Andrea, and Megan joined me (oh how I wish we would have convinced Amy and Kami!!!! but I already said that). So, we swam merrily across. And it was fun. And we got to the rocks on the far side and climbed up for a breather and to watch Derek and Wyatt and Ethan jump. Watching Ethan was especially entertaining in a I-can't-believe-you're-really-going-to-jump-from-there-because-it's-almost-certain-death kind of way--he jumping from higher than anyone else because he has a youthful sense of immortality. Anyway, it was REALLY awesome just hanging out there for awhile because of the fact that it was just Megan, Derek, Andrea, me, Wyatt, Lindsay, and Ethan--almost all the siblings in the family. No kids, no in-laws, just us. It was awesome.
But anyway, naturally the boys immediately fell to encouraging us to jump as well. Which I had no inclination to do. But then Megan said she would (always a fearless one) and she tried to get me to promise that I would if she would. I said I'd promise to think hard about jumping if she did. Well, then she came out to the edge and actually looked down, and THEN wasn't quite so fearless! She waffled for a VERY long time---now this is about a 25 foot jump. VERY scary when you're at the top of it. So, then Lindsay starts making her way out to the edge and says she'll jump, and so Megan jumps because, after all, no one likes to let their little sister beat them. Then Lindsay jumped, and then Andrea jumped (although off a spot slightly lower), and I was the last one so I HAD to jump, because who could crawl back down the rocks and be a wuss after everyone else had jumped? I ask you. (If all your friends jumped off a cliff, would you too? Yes, I guess I would.) So, anyway, I jumped, and it was crazy scary and elating. Yahoo! So we all swam back and were revered by those who had remained on the shore (just kidding, I made that part up. ;) ).



And we did a little arm wrestling. (Brett beat Ethan, although only with the right arm.) This picture is my brother Wyatt and Derek.
And Brett worked on a biodiesel processor, cause that's what he likes to do while on vacation.

so

We rode Grandpa's horses, and did some swimming (and Hazel did a lot of sand and dirt eating). And I read a few books, but NOT Harry Potter. I just think that it's out of control how popular that series is when it's really not very extraordinary. Anyway, Brett did read it --managed to snag it from Ethan, and said it was so-so.

Oh, and our karaoke contest was cool. I think Kami's blog mentions that. Brett and I dressed up as Johnny Cash and June Carter and sang "It Ain't Me Babe"---idea compliments of Andrea D.--thanks Andrea! When my mom sends me a picture, I will post it.

Our trip home was CRAZY. We got up early --3:30 am to catch our flight, but since we were flying standby, didn't get on. So, we decided to wait until a flight at 6:00 that night. Luckily, my dear sister Andrea picked us up and let us hang at her house that day and though we did get a quick nap in, not much of one. Luckily we made both flights but we got into Chicago at 3:30 am and I felt sooooo sick! I have never been sick on a plane before ever but with the lack of sleep I thought I was going to throw up, and my head would NOT stop swimming. Anyway, I was very very happy to see our nice little house. And that's the end of my ramblings. Tscuss.