Family Time

This weekend was great I had no complaints and despite some challenging times in the past and a few disagreements I get along great with my in-laws but let's be honest what family doesn't squabble from time to time right? Anyway, I rode with my mother in law to Conconully which was about 3 and a half hours pretty much a straight shot since we live near highway 2 anyway. We had a ball together. Her GPS and her don't get along so she argued with it the whole time and I was just rolling with laughter. Then it tried to get back at her by first refusing to talk to her for 30 minutes or so and then when we got closer it kept trying to get her to turn into the cherry trees. We also stopped at a fruit stand for some amazing Rainer cherries which we munched on all weekend and some apricots for me mom felt bad because she was going to get me some on the way back but we just wanted to get home. That's okay though I don't mind. We also found a Walmart good thing since we both needed some lunch (she's diabetic and it had been way too long since breakfast so I insisted she eat) and she had forgotten some key ingredients for her Chicken Enchiladas such as the tortillas. We arrived at our home away from home for the weekend a cute little cabin (I'll post pictures from the trip later) to find that dad had already arrived. He was traveling on his motorcycle not bad timing since we had flagged him down at Grand Coulee. Anyway, Shawn and Damian arrived last in the car Shawn had rented after they had found 8 Geo caches along the way. We got settled and found other family members to chat with and catch up with. We just sat on the big front porch and enjoyed each other. We also laid claim on beds mom and dad got the two twins downstairs and we kids got the three up in the loft. It was a lot of fun it felt like a sleepover. That night we ate a light dinner and gathered around a fire pit for smores and that was fun because mom bought HUGE ones that just puffed right up in the fire. We also chatted and teased and laughed. Dad sang some funny songs for me that I had never heard. They were shocked that I had been in that family for 10 years and never heard them. Dad has a wonderful soothing voice so no wonder their granddaughter Ella fell asleep to it. We also got Damian to burn a nasty disguising shirt it had stains all over it and holes. Victory for me I HATED that shirt. That night when we all settled in to bed I made a joke about how this reminded me of the tv show the Waltons so of course we made a joke about that. The next morning dad made breakfast and we sat and enjoyed the beautiful sounds all around us. There was no wifi where we were so it was just family time and the birds were chirping and near us was a wonderful little stream that babbled. Mom and I also utilized the kitchenette one at a time of course to make some food for the potluck later. She made some wonderful chicken enchiladas and I made some potatoes baked in butter and ranch dressing. Both were a hit. At the potluck in another campground near Lake Conconully we got some wonderful pictures and visited with more family. There was most that I knew from two years ago but there were some I hadn't met yet. It didn't matter in the course of the afternoon we were all family and it felt like I had known them all my whole life. We had prime rib which was wonderful along with everyone's contributions. We had an auction with home made contributions which helps pay for the next year's reunion that's how we got to have prime rib. All in all it was a fabulous day and Damian and I made instant friends with a cousin of mom's I'm not sure how that would work for us relation wise who was right around our age) he is amazing and it was no accident we were supposed to be here this weekend. He needed a friend and we did too especially Damian they became two peas in a pod. Saturday night was more visiting this time around our fire pit and then off to bed. I had a nightmare that night and it was funny because mom Impett just covered her head because she thought I was freaking out over a bat (we were in bat territory we had seen some), Damian was upset because I had woken him up, dad was sleeping right through it but Shawn was just trying to make sure I was okay. I did get back to sleep but once the sun came up I got up went outside for awhile and just pondered. I got some answers as to why my dream kept coming back and some other soul searching done. It's amazing what can be done when you can hear yourself think. I also wrote a lot this weekend to I was inspired out there. I love nature and the woods. Sunday was a day to say good bye we went to a small diner for a wonderful breakfast. I got a HUGE plate of wonderful biscuits and sausage gravy and the price wasn't bad either. Then it was time to go and we got hugs all around and best wishes for the next year. We also said good bye to dad because he was not joining mom at home he was headed to Shelton first to see his sister our Aunt Wendy and then he needed to rent a U-Haul because he was going to get some motorcycle parts for his other motorcycle the one he had wrecked several years ago. He had a really loaded down bike so I gave him a hug and told him he better be careful and that he had better call mom when he got to Wendy's or we all would bug him until he did. He acted all gruff trying to tell me that he knew what he was doing and that he was going to be okay but he hugged back so I knew he was touched that we cared about his safety. Mom and I then headed over to see her Uncle Jack because he is 93 years old and she couldn't shake the feeling that she needed to see him. Everyone else had told us he was a cranky old man who refused to come out to the reunion to see his family. I didn't know what to expect but the man I met was nothing but kindness. Yes, he was a little cranky at first and it was hard for him to hobble around but he did and that comes from the fact that he told us he worked every day of his life and he hates that his body is wearing out on him. I can understand but he was loving and kind and showed us younger pictures of mom's cousins. I got him to smile and laugh and he wasn't cranky with me. I think that's because the others were trying to force him to come to them well he has a valid point he lives not even 20 miles from Conconully if they wanted to see him bad enough they would come to him. He was so tickled that mom and I did he even agreed to let his wife take a picture of the three of us him in the middle with his arms around us. That was the highlight of my visit I think because Jack and Betty his wife didn't even know me at all but yet when they learned that I was family and how I was related via marriage to one of their own they embraced me right away. That's how all of them were this weekend. It was such a simple reunion held at a campground with a potluck lunch and lots of laughter and stories but it was so full of love and goodwill. We are all different faiths but we had a wonderful heart felt prayer over the food and lots of comfort and cheer for one who had just lost his dear wife a few months before. I talked to him and while he was still in mourning he had so much faith that she was with God now and that all would be well. I am so blessed that I got to go this weekend and experience all of this love and fun and even some inner peace.