The Giles Family Reunion

One of the reasons for making our big trip to the west was because Briant's side of the family was having their big triennial family reunion spectacular.  This family reunion has been going on since 2004.  My Father-in-Law (FIL --  I pronounce it Phil and actually call him that) was in charge this year and I was promised this one would indeed be spectacular and I would be sorry if I missed it.  Briant couldn't come because of his awesome internship in Hershey, so I of course went to represent!  I love this family I have married into.  They are strong, kind, joyful, and they make me feel right at home. Their characters are incredible and it shows in all that they do. You won't be around them too long before you can feel their love for one another beaming and you will want to stay forever.  I truly feel blessed to be a part of this family.

Here are the original Giles siblings.

And with their spouses.

Look at how the family has grown.... and there are a lot of members missing in this picture that couldn't come.

 This was the first reunion that Grandpa Giles wasn't there.  But we all learned a lot about him.  My FIL spend many hours in the months before the reunion, on a movie about the lives of his parents and the 100 years after his father was born . As I watched this 2 hour film, I gained even more respect for Grandpa Giles, his wife (whom I never had the pleasure of meeting), and the family they worked hard to raise.  They were amazing people, and they raised equally amazing people.  I hope to implement some of their ethics into my own family.

The sea of red, watching the movie.

Kick ball is a tradition.  

 When Andrew started kicking balls (around 18 months-- a pretty early age considering my doc said they don't start actually kicking until they are two), I had it in my mind that we needed to keep at it and practice so that we would be ready for the reunion.  I knew we would have a game, and I wanted so badly for him to kick the ball by himself.  It took a few tries (he was kinda shy in front of everyone) but in the end he was victorious!  I was so proud!

She's the newest member to have married into the family.
She fit right in. It was good to meet her.

Andrew's expression doesn't show it, but he loves this guy!

Andrew knows where to stand when the pictures are being taken.
We practice a lot.

These two are going to be good buds in the future.

 Four wheeling was one of the activities planned. Andrew was all excited until it actually came time for us to get on.  So we circled the parking lot a couple times until he was comfortable (he had quite a grip around my neck at first).  He started to like it but still wouldn't go fast.

Madison and Logan ate it up with their dad.  They had no reservations at all.

 Later on, my SIL watched Andrew and Uncle Brad took me for a ride.  We went up the mountain for a little more rough terrain (he had taken everyone up the day before and I hadn't gone).  We didn't know anyone was following us until we got to the top.

Beautiful panoramic view.  Love these cool features on my phone.

Ryan and his little nephew.

 On our way back down.

Can you find the "S" for Snow College.

Andrew's first time on a Merry-go-round.

They all had a great time swimming together!

Corn Hole is a tradition too.

I had a great time with the whole Giles family.  Andrew was a little clingy, and we missed Briant, but we had a great time with each of these wonderful people.  I can't wait for the next reunion!