Summer Vacation 2016: Part 3 of 3- That Snowbird Life

There's not much in my life that has stayed consistent. Excluding my family, there are very few people that I still know from my youth. There isn't a childhood house to come home to during holidays, I don't run into my 4th grade teacher at the grocery store, and I'm very good at getting close to friends and then having to say goodbye 5 years later.

This week I realized that the one thing that has been consistent throughout my life are the family reunions up in the Wasatch mountains. I've been coming to Snowbird my entire life.

No wonder this week holds such a special place in my heart. Up at 8,000 feet above sea level where the air is thin, my mom's family comes together to hike, swim, talk, eat, and have a talent show.

This is the second time Maia and Ruby have come to a Snowbird reunion, but it was really the first time they experienced it as kids, not toddlers. Things have changed over the years. The arcade has been turned into a game room with foosball, ping pong, and pool tables. The center has expanded their activity offerings from one Alpine slide, to a "roller coaster" and several other rides.

And just like the resort changes a bit each year, so do we. There have been birthdays (we got to celebrate 2 this past week!) and career changes and heartbreak and triumphs, all of which shape us into the people we are now.

This one week, every other year, gives us a chance to reconnect and learn each other all over again. Our friendships are renewed and solidified. We rejoice and cry together. We share laughs and music. But mostly we just enjoy each other.

Wifi on the mountain is sometimes touchy, which makes it easy to really let go of the stresses and pressures of real life.

My cousin lives in Salt Lake and hosted our biennial family reunion talent show. The front lawn was swarming with little girls doing gymnastics, while the adults gathered to talk inside, surrounded by instruments, arcade games, a baby, and a few teenagers. 

My dearest cousin (closest thing to a sister I ever had) came from the UK with her gorgeous child and while we watched our daughters do cartwheels while drinking beers it was just a dream come true. We even sang a duet together for the talent show. I might share it with you, if you ask nicely.

These are most of the Pappas great grandchildren. (There are 4 more!)

And my generation. (Photo by Ruby)

Did I mention my cousin collects old arcade games? And lives in a renovated frat house? My sweet nephew was smitten with the transformer he found.

And can I mention again that we had a talent show? My sister in law whispered to me, "we could sell tickets to this thing!"

Living at 8,000 feet for a week is no joke. After Aleks and I had been there for several days and my brothers had joined us, we all decided to tackle the mountain. We hiked about 4 1/2 miles and ascended 3,000 feet to the summit of the mountain. It took awhile, but we all felt quite proud of our accomplishment and Kodi (7 months) handled it like a champ.

Being with extended family for a full week in a beautiful location is such a gift. The experiences we share and memories we make knit us together more strongly.

To my family: Take care of yourselves, love fiercely, and know that we'll see each other again soon on the mountain.

Until next time. xoxo

High, higher than the sun

The air is different at 9,000 feet.

The thinness is not only noticed with every breath, but also in the way the sun streams through a lacy filter.

Everything is lighter, brighter and the shadows don't seem as deep.

A 30 year old tradition of meeting at the top of the mountain; siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, all coming together and sharing space, meals, conversation while we find respite among the clouds.

So many things have changed over those 30 years.

The cozy cabin feel has given way to modernity.

Activities for kids have sprung up among the wildflowers.

Toys have evolved from plastic

to metal and glass.

But so much has stayed the same.

Spirited conversation about politics, religion, and education cushioned in mutual respect and admiration.

Days that are filled with games

swimming

hikes

and meal planning/cooking for 20+.

Also falling into bed each night filled to the max with new experiences and the comfort of being surrounded by family.

This place holds so much beauty.

Some of it in the contour of rock and trees, the wildflowers whose colors soften the harsh landscape, and the bright sky dotted with soft clouds.

Oh, but the most beautiful part of this place, is the fellowship of my extended family.
To me, fellowship brings up images of potlucks in the church basement or wedding receptions held in the Fellowship Room.
It's a church word.
But, really,  it just means a gathering of people who share a common interest.

Some of us share the same religion, politics, interests, taste in music, but there's also a lot of differences too. One thing that is constant, however, is our interest in each other, which far outweighs anything divisive.

Snowbird has become a sacred place (there's another church word!) for all of us.

Gordon and Ruby and their kids kept the tradition going these last 30 years.
Now my generation is stepping into a leadership role to continue our biennial reunions, hopefully instilling a love of this place and each other into our children.

It's nice to know we can say "until next time."