Barney Family Reunion

**Warning:  Long Post.
**Pictures to follow when I get some from my dad:).

The Barney Family Plan is/was to have reunions every two years, in the summer.  We had one in June 2010 with all the adults and grandkids.  Then my parent's surprised us all with an adult-only reunion trip to Hawaii in December 2010!  (Was that really one year ago?  Can't we go back puh-lease?!  Oh, wonderous Hawaii!)  Then my parent's announcement that they were going on a mission.  We thought there may not be a reunion until their return in 2013. 

In November, Glen & Kathryn decided they would come to Oregon at Christmas to see my parents before they leave for Japan in January.  Nate & Cami were also coming during the holidays.  Suddenly everyone realized, this would only leave Brent & Alyson and family missing out on the festivities.  They just had to come!  So, we called and begged and pleaded (actually, they really wanted to come, so it didn't take much begging and pleading, just them trying to work out the details) and lo, and behold, suddenly we had a family reunion planned in just one month!  Woo hoo!  Party time!

My parent's tried to keep it as simple as they know how.  But they really know how to throw a party, if I do say so myself:).  As soon as Steven created a Google Doc for the event, everyone started throwing in their "two bits", and the week was overflowing with activities.  Here is the quick summary:

Tuesday and Wednesday, December 20-21, we played at Grandma and Grandpa's house.  Cousins and adults galor talked, ate, played games, laughed, talked, and ate some more.  Wednesday afternoon the adult Barney siblings all gathered in my parent's room for a few hours to go through some keepsake items my parents had come across in their pre-mission organizing/cleaning out.  It was so fun to see old relics from my growing up years, such as matching family reunion t-shirts (mine was about a size 4T!), family photos, and very well-loved stuffed animals.  My favorite item, which brought me to tears, was my baby blanket.  I thought that had been lost forever.  It is now in my possession!  Our Wednesday dinner was by candelight, to celebrate Winter Solstice and Joseph Smith's birthday--the day after the darkest day of the year, when light begins to return to the earth.

Thursday, December 22, 36.5 Barney members descended on the Evergreen Water Waves Waterpark in McMinnville.  We spent about six hours swimming, going down slides, playing in the wave pool, and enjoying the H2O museum.  Kylene loved the big slides and wave pool.  My boys loved the small "whirlpool" (like a lazy river), wave pool, and the water museum.  They spent an hour and a half in the water museum and would have stayed longer if I would have let them.  I loved that there were tons of older cousins and aunts and uncles to help me at a water park with four non-swimmers.  One of them was always wanting to take one of my kids with them to swim.  It was a blast on a freezing, cold, dark Oregon winter day. 

Friday was more play time at Grandma and Grandpa's house as well as an hour of fun at Pump It Up!  My parent's have rented the facility before so my kids know and love it.  As soon as I say they get to go to Pump It Up! again, they scream with excitement.  After Pump It Up! we did a quick service project: Nate & Cami came up with the idea to put together kits for homeless people who ask for money on the side of the road.  We got toothbrushes/paste, soap, granola bars, band-aids, some loose change, baby wipes, and other small items they might be able to use and put them together in Ziploc bags.  Each family took home a dozen or so to hand out to people in their area.  Friday evening dinner was pizza for the kids, while the adults went out to dinner.  I even left Andon with several very able teenage cousins.  (I admit I was nervous about leaving him, and turns out he had a fussy time while I was gone, but they all survived--even Andon--and I gratefully enjoyed a quiet, adult dinner.)

Saturday--Christmas Eve--we started off with family pictures (of course!), then did Christmas festivities.  Grandma did her annual white elephant gift exchange first.  This time she magically came up with 36 different gifts; impressive!  It was fun and funny to see what the kids thought were treasures.  Spencer was very proud that he was able to "steal" a stapler, staple remover, and 5,000 staples--what a prize!  He seriously loves it.  Then we had a Christmas recital with the cousins playing the piano, flute, strings, etc., as well as everyone singing some Christmas carols. 

That evening we acted out the Nativity and had cheese and chocolate fondue for dinner--yummy!  Although admittedly, I ate way too much chocolate fondue and had a stomachache afterward to show for it; oops!

Christmas Day was at home with my little family (see previous post).

Monday was Barney Family Olympics day.  We were organized into three (as equal as is possible) teams:), and participated in a relay at the Junior High track, obstacle course at the playground, standing long jump, etc., back at the house.  And more raucous playing in between.  (Did I mention that my parent's house was very loud the entire week?!  A fun loud, of course!)  After dinner Monday night, most of us said our goodbyes. :(

The Rummler's left Tuesday night while several of the family attended the Portland Trailblazers vs. Sacramento Kings game so they could see Jimmer-action live.  I decided to keep my very tired and noise-stimulated kids home, but Kyle was able to go enjoy the action. 

Nate & Cami stayed a few days after everyone else, so we got to see them one more time when they stopped by on their long drive back to Las Vegas Saturday afternoon.  Lucky us!

It was a whirlwind, yet oh, so wonderful week.  I loved being together with all my siblings.  I loved watching my kids having a blast and making memories with their cousins. (When I saw my kids, that is; they were going 100 mph.)  I loved the precious time with my mom and dad before they depart on their mission.  I loved spending the holidays with so much family.

I feel so blessed to get along so well with my family, and to have such a loving family.  We're all looking forward to our next family reunion, now scheduled for summer 2013 after my parent's safe return!