This past June, John arranged for a week off work and we all flew 2,100 miles to this lovely campus in Albion, Idaho, the site of our week-long family reunion. The boys and I were the first in the entire extended family to arrive, and for a few anxious hours we were convinced we had fallen victim to a very elaborate practical joke.
Luckily, 91 Benson cousins, aunts, and uncles joined us in Albion soon afterwards, and by the end of the week we had actually grown fond of the haunted, boarded up dormitories next door. Minus the ghosts, it was actually a perfect location for a massive family reunion!
We've had these Benson family reunions every 3 years for my entire life, and we keep expanding to a larger group. There is so much strength that comes from celebrating our heritage together and seeing all the good things my cousins are doing in their lives.
The boys had a lot of fun with their 2nd cousins
We had a June Madness ping pong bracket, so there were always games going on throughout the week. Here's my mom in a high-stakes match against her brother Gordon!
Bump, set, spike WIN! The family VB tournament was a blast.
We did a family 2-mile fun run, and a 10 year old (Ryan Benson) sprinted the whole way and beat everyone!
We souped-up the regular old 3-legged races into 18-legged races.
Still plenty more room in the 4-man jacuzzi! Come on in!
Cliff jumping? Just say YES.
We did all sorts of creative relay races
Guess which gender is winning the race?
Only two people accidentally aspirated a kidney bean during this race!
The National League finally beat the American league in our family baseball game
Cup stacking at its finest
Our book club discussion was excellent! I have so many bright, well-read cousins.
Cole loved shouting "GERONIMO!" as he plummeted down the water slide, which the grandkids did for hours each day.
Bridging the generations via "London Bridges"
One game involved getting a cookie from your forehead to your mouth without using hands. Josh almost got it!
The nature hike was gorgeous
You know you're a serious athlete when you pack dumbbells in your suitcase! My cousin Kira introduced me to her fantastic workout regimen, which I've copied and do on my own now.
(PS. That's my bedroom. The carpet really makes it pop, I'd say. It's called "The Arts and Crafts Room" because a century ago it was the site for local women to quilt together. The chalkboards against the wall still have their quilt measurements and orders written out, and we had to monitor Christian not to rub it off! I had lots of dreams about phantom quilters while staying there.)
John and I were the dance party DJs. We're ready to quit our day jobs and organize dances full time!
My cousins could teach Beyonce a few steps.
My cousin John brought his slick candy cannon to the reunion
My dad helped Benson with the water balloon toss
You can't do a reunion without the speed water passing game
The 3 Musketeers, reunited! It was so fun to spend time with Kira and Jenessa again, especially in such a beautiful spot of earth.
That's it 'til 2018, folks! Let's choose an even more exciting spot next time, like an abandoned penitentiary or sanitarium!
3 comments:
Fabulous! It's so fun. I wish we did it every year. We have been blessed with the best family.
Looks like a fun trip! I've been meaning to tell you... I'm pretty sure your cousin John and I were in the same ward at BYU at one point. I'm trying to remember how we were connected, but I think that is how. It's been fun to see him in some of your pics through the years but I couldn't remember his name. Glad you reminded me! :)
Karisa, what a fun blog. Thanks for posting some great pictures. I hope this year's reunion is a blast.
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