Malarsie family reunion time - though because of COVID we have been really unsure if or how this would all work out. Any travel on airlines is really weird right now, and feels much more risky so unfortunately, Michael's family was unable to make it out this year. For everyone else, the road trip was manageable, with as few stops as possible. We are really grateful that despite the circumstances of a worldwide pandemic, we can still see each other.
Brad and I have been so excited to host our first reunion at Casa Fiesta. We were all really looking forward to a week full of fun, sunshine, swimming, games, talent show, so much food, and more! For a week, things could really feel somewhat normal again. It was so, so good to gather together. Here are the many, many pictures of all the fun...
Swimming was the most popular way to pass the time. The family were in and out from sun up until sun down. They played countless rounds of king of the hill (last one not knocked off the platform), cannon ball competitions, synchronized swimming routines, etc. It was so awesome!
Grandpa and grandpa had all the necessary supplies to keep the snow cone machine flowing!
The movie room was the favorite den for all the teens. Late night movie nights, and dark, cozy sleep-ins.
The exercise room worked as the perfect "nest" for the younger crowd to sleep and have their own movie nights.
One morning we took a nice stroll through Petroglyph National Monument to see what kind of old drawings we could discover. It was nice to get out of the house, but before long everyone was hot and ready to go back to the pool.
Grandma and grandpa led a very nice church meeting on Sunday morning. It's always good to add in a spiritual boost.
There were many, many platform dance parties.
Karly found it funny to reenact the old photo of grandpa with this shark from a couple years ago...
Eden and Wren also experimented with a little baking. Their final result looked a little questionable, but it tasted great.
Though there was no plan with these guys except a "catch and release", Kike wasn't going to go home empty handed. He threw a bunch in to boil and had a nice little snack. He even garnered a few brave souls who also wanted to try them.
Another afternoon excursion was a hike to Sandia Man Cave with the clan. Kike had a nice nap on our drive out.
Here's the cousin crew who came out for the cave exploration. It was a beautiful day for a nice hike!
Up the creepy stairs and into the mouth of the cave!
Many brave warriors took their flashlights and went through the crawl space into the cave. Few not-so-brave warriors (like myself) decided to wait outside in the open mouth of the cave for their safe return.
Most had a pretty good time exploring down in the cave, but some definitely did not. It was another very courageous activity!
We had another wonderful family talent show. It's always Eden's favorite thing to organize the "acts" and be the hostess for the show. We had many great singing and dancing routines.
For Carson and Bentley's act we all had to move into the movie room because they had prepared a glow stick dance. It was hilarious.
Then came time for our longest standing family tradition - the courage exercise!! The build up of anticipation and nerves in everyone is always the best part. I knew this one was going to be particularly rough... but first - warrior face paint is a must!
This year's test of courage was to hold very large hissing cockroaches - yuck! And the hissing sounds they made actually did make it even more freaky. Some people weren't too troubled to stick their hands in the box and pick them up, but for others this was a real act of courage! I love this tradition and the opportunity it gives us all to step outside our comfort zone, and to cheer each other on the whole time!
Every year, once everyone has had their turn and the adrenaline wears off a bit, many of the kids always come around for a round two - sometimes those who couldn't touch it the first time, will be able to the second time through after they see a few more people do it. It's such an interesting experiment!
Throughout the week there were many rounds made by the "ice cream truck". Eden, Wren and Lincoln took their jobs as the drivers of this truck very seriously with music playing and everything. After watching the match with gladiator turtles vs. cockroaches, it seemed like a great time for a treat.
And in between all the fun traditions, there was just a whole lot of down time, hanging out and enjoying time together. One afternoon was spent watching old reunion videos. Those are always so fun and cute to watch. It's crazy to see how quickly all these kids are growing!
We also enjoyed the evenings out by the firepit, and many of the kids spent a few nights out on the trampolines which was tons of fun.
All the tie-dye shirts came out awesome and always make for a fun activity. The older teens did reverse tie-dye with bleach this year and those turned out really cool! It's fun to see all the kids running around in their coordinated tie-dye. So cute. And we just can't express gratitude enough for the swimming pool. It provided hours and hours of good, solid fun. We are so grateful the family all came to share these experiences with us!
We sure missed Michael and his family here this year, but feel so grateful for this time together with everyone else. After these past few lonely months, it was really good for the soul to be reunited with family. I love watching the relationship among the cousins, and cherish this time together so, so much. Thanks family, for coming to Casa Fiesta! Here's hoping next year will bring the whole crew together again! Good times!
