After WAY too long of a hiatus, I have finally updated my blog! Can I get a HURRAY! Sit down, pull up a chair, and enjoy this LARGE post on the Welker Reunion.
Thanks to Aunt Wendy, we have enjoyed another Welker Reunion!
This year's reunion was held at Jacob Lake in Northern Arizona. You would think going to Northern Arizona this time of year would be scorching hot but I must admit the temperature was perfect. I don't believe it reached over 80 degrees the entire time. Yes, we endured/witnessed some amazing rain storms but I think this helped keep the temperatures pleasant.
There always seems to be something that needs to go wrong in order to get off and enjoy a reunion. This year was no different. First of all, we were wondering on Thursday if Nate's vehicle was going to get out of the repair shop in order to pull our trailer for us or if our trailer was going to be left home in the driveway and we'd be tenting it.
Phew! The Excursion was released from the "fix it shop" on Thursday afternoon close to 5 p.m. Our trailer was packed and ready to go and headed out Thursday evening to Lehi.
Late Thursday night brought a phone call from Nate that one of our trailer springs broke in transport and would need to be fixed Friday morning before we would be able to leave Lehi. After Nate and Dave chatting many times on the phone during our travels down and our stopping at 3-4 RV stores, we arrived in Lehi at 11 a.m. where Dave jumped in the car with Nate to run and pick up parts in Orem.
Once the parts were obtained for the trailer it seemed to be a quick fix and we were back on the road at 2:30 pm following our trailer and heading for Jacob Lake.
The trip required many stops and going slower to make sure the Excursion and trailer were functioning well. We arrived in Kanab around 8 p.m. and ate dinner at Wendy's and then headed the additional 45 minutes to Jacob Lake. We arrived at camp around 9:30 pm in time to get settled and be off to bed.
Due to the weather, Saturday turned in to the day that we visited the Grand Canyon. The day was cloudy and drizzly but you could still wear shorts and maybe have a jacket/sweater on. We arrived at the Grand Canyon to see that it was socked in with fog. We still went on some of the hikes and made the most of it. I thought it was interesting to chat with some people that lived in the area and visited the Grand Canyon many times. They commented that this is the first time they had ever seen the Grand Canyon like this. They felt bad for the tourists but I have to say this is something that I'll probably never see again. Some of the pictures turned out amazing! As the day wore on, the sun came out and there were parts of the canyon that weren't fogged in.
And here's the Grand Canyon! It's so.........WHITE!
Ashley (coughing) - Aly (cousin) - Hannah
Bryce - Janee - Dave - Linda
Yes! That is the Grand Canyon behind us!
This is all of the Welker Granddaughters minus Kacie....not sure where she went.
Grandpa - Nicole - Dave
Priceless!
In the afternoon, we stopped along the side of the road and had a picnic for lunch and then headed off again to another site and a couple of more trails. To get to this site the road was VERY windy. Right at the very end Hannah commented that she was going to throw up! When we arrived, the door quickly opened and Hannah was pulled out for a breath of fresh air! Poor girl! Takes after her Mom......I was in the front seat looking out the window and I got queasy myself!
Is that what I think it is? YES! It's the Grand Canyon!
Ashley & DeLaynie - these two are 4 months apart in age and were totally inseperable the entire reunion. I thought we were going to have to change Ashley's name to Ashley Roper.
DeLaynie - Ashley - Hannah - Rachel
Grandma - Dave - Linda
Brandon - Nicole - Aunt Wendy
A picture of just Dave & I. This doesn't happen often.
Can you find the hole in the rock?
Sunday brought us leaving camp early and heading to Sacrament meeting in Fredonia. The Ward here was rather small. Thank goodness Aunt Wendy had warned them a group of 40 would be visiting. We doubled the ward numbers! Without the heads up, there might not have been enough bread!
After sacrament and due to all of the family being there (minus Aunt Erin who couldn't get off work and Garrett who is on his Mission in Canada), Kyle (nephew) had worked it out so he could be set apart as an Elder with all of the family there.
We left church and headed to Pipe Springs, which is Paiute tribe land where the Mormons came and settled. Our tour guide of this area was actually a member of the Paiute tribe. It was interesting to hear his perspective as a tribe member of how the Mormons came in and took over the land from his people.
As we're listening to his stories, Hannah turns to me and says, "Mom, I don't think he likes Mormons." Interesting that an eight year old could pick up on something like that. I'm sure he didn't know we were Mormon but I still found it interesting to hear his side of the story.
......forgot the camera for this event.......
Sunday night brought Aunt Wendy and Grandma sharing interesting trivia and heritage with everyone.
Monday morning after breakfast everyone headed off the beaten path to experience rock repelling. A group headed off at first to get things set up (Dave included) and a little while later the rest of us loaded up and headed over.
Upon arriving, Ashley was one of the first to get harnessed up and ready to repel. Dave took her to the top, hooked her to him, and down they came. From our immediate family, Ashley is the one that repelled the most. I think all total she came down six times.
The face says it all!
Attempt #2....a little more relaxed.
Two of the times, Ashley was determined to be just like her cousin DeLaynie, who is 4 months older, and repel by herself. As a Mom it is so heartbreaking to be at the bottom looking up and not being able to help your daughter overcome the fear of taking the first step. She would get to the edge and was right there but couldn't take the initial step. The second time Dave was at the top trying to convince her that she could do it and she wanted to so bad but she just couldn't. I give her credit though. That was amazing for a five year old to even attempt.
Hannah did a great job and after much coaxing she repelled the rock by herself. She said, "Mom....I'll repel if you will." Here I am at the bottom giving much encouragement to "just try it once" but I'm thinking to myself the whole time that there is NO WAY I'm coming down the mountain! Grandpa Welker even told Hannah that he would go down if she did. So Hannah harnessed up and off she went. Dave was at the top for Hannah's attempt and he said she had tears in her eyes but she listened to Aly's instructions and was a pro at repelling down.
Every time one of the kids came down the mountain, Nicole would say, "Is it my turn"? After listening for while, we harnessed her up and she went up the mountain with Dave to repel down. This is one of those times that I wished I would have had my video camera. I think we could have won some money by submitting Nicole's repelling to Funniest Home Videos. As soon as Nicole was hooked to Dave and they started down, she began screaming. She DID NOT want to come down the mountain. Dave stopped midway to have Nicole wave for pictures. She lifted the hat off her head and waved it above her head like she was waving a white surrender flag.....and still crying the whole time. They reached the bottom and while still crying and tears running down her face she says, "Can I go again? Daddy, will you take me again?" Heartbreaking, cute and irresistible. Dave took her back up the mountain and this time she was all smiles coming down. She could see me while she was waiting at the top and was yelling hi and waving.
Harnessed up and ready to go!
It's all fun at the top
You've got to check out the facial expressions through these next photos
Phew! We made it!
Try #2....a much better wave
Here's some photos of Dave's repelling.......by himself......
Well, that's all my family except me that has repelled. Everyone, especially Dave, kept bugging me to repel. I have an enormous fear of heights. Some of the spots at the Grand Canyon were killing me because there was no fence. The more people bug me the more my heels get planted in the ground and I will prove to you that I can make my own decision and not do it. Besides, I didn't want to be the one to try repelling and end up hanging upside down on the mountain with 40 people watching and not be able to get myself back up right to continue down.
My brother-in-law, Kevin, came up to me and said that Wendy wanted to possibly try repelling but she didn't want to do it in front of everyone. If I were interested, I could stay behind with them after everyone else had gone back to camp and I could repel. My comment was, "I'll think about it."
It does make you feel really sheepish when your eight, five, and two year old kids have repelled.....multiple times. As we're sitting there, Grandpa Welker gets up and harnesses up and repels keeping his word to Hannah. Then, up pops Grandma Welker and heads up the mountain to repel. This is a lot of pressure! All of the adults have repelled accept me and Wendy.
Things were wrapping up and everyone was heading back and now came the moment of "what am I going to do". There's Wendy and I looking at each other and Kevin and Dave getting us ready to repel. In fact, I don't think they were giving us much of a choice or time to think about it. We were harnessed and up the mountain in no time!
Wendy was amazing and went first. She did great! Now it's my turn. I remember asking Aly if she was sure the rope was attached and wouldn't come off. Then there was no thinking about it and DEFINITELY no looking down. Off the mountain backwards I went.....scared SPITLESS!
We did it! What a feat for me and Wendy! We did it!
Then......at the bottom I'm told that we're going again. Wendy's already at the top so I guess here I go again. Dave and Kevin said we had to do it again because the first time is pure fear and you can relax a little more for the second go round. Ok....Ok.....they were right....but I won't tell them!
I remember yelling on my way down the first time that Dave had better be getting pictures because I wasn't sure this would EVER happen again!
Along with repelling there was also shooting going on. Ashley was the first to attempt and she did great. She was the only one in our family that hit the target! Both Hannah and I shot. I didn't have the camera handy so there were no pictures taken of us. Bummer!
After repelling, we headed back to camp to play the Minute to Win-It game, have a Pinata for the younger kids, dinner and fun and games for the evening.
You go Cole!
Ashley's turn
It's all about the tongue!
Tuesday morning brought breakfast and breaking down of camp. Everyone split ways around 11 a.m. and headed for home. We arrived back in Mendon around 8:30 p.m.
Thanks Aunt Wendy and Family for a great reunion!
Here's some favorite pictures and memories of the reunion
The reporting of Sasquatch in the campground next door and the police officer driving though to get a picture
Cousins, cousins, and more cousins. My girls went through withdrawls!
Precious moments with Grandma and Grandpa
Grandma and Grandpa repelling
the pictures that you don't know are being taken
and those you do
