the third one

The weekend before the Pioneer Trek we headed to Payson, Utah for our M Family Reunion. Family Reunions on this side of the family is a relatively new phenomenon. My sister-in-law, Gretta, put together our very first M Family Reunion back in 2012. And here it is 2014 and we are still going strong.  I hope they continue on for much longer, mainly because Spence is 1 of 12 siblings. Twelve. As in two more than ten, 6+6, a full dozen. And although there are always a couple that don’t make it to the reunion, it’s almost a guarantee that on M Family Reunion weekend a large portion of his large family is going to be largely gathered together in one large place. It’s the whole two birds, one stone theory. But in this case it’s 12 siblings, one reunion. It’s convenient. It’s also loud and a bit chaotic, but aren’t all family reunions?

This year my sister-in-law Anna put together a carnival themed par-tay. My kids had so much fun. There were bouncy houses, carnival games, face painting, cousins galore, and a money dive in grandma’s pool. Plus, grandma and grandpa’s freezer was stocked clear full of ice-cream treats. So you know, rad.

And then on Sunday afternoon we hiked into The Grotto in Payson Canyon. And although our picnic got rained on, I’m glad we went. It was so pretty. The next time we go to Payson I plan on hiking it again. It’s an easy hike, kid friendly, and it ends with a waterfall.

And then on our way home we stopped by Sarah’s house for a quick visit and some Dutch Oven dinner - a Francis Family specialty that I (not so) secretly hope they make every single time we stop by at dinner time. It’s that good.

My brother-in-law, Heinrich, was the unofficial Family Reunion paparazzi and took a million and twenty-seven pictures. Which a girl like me appreciates. Here are a handful of those pictures.

And here’s to M’s Family Reunion 2015. Let’s keep this new tradition rolling.