2014 Allan Reunion

I think some people believe that reunions are a time to have a good old picnic and hang out every year or two. You say hello, have a laugh, take some pictures and call it good. Not true. The 2014 Allan Family Reunion was the reunion of all time. I laughed more than I have laughed in ages. The Allans have humor in their blood. We discussed serious topics and ended up gut laughing through them. We took turns talking about our families, some showed videos while some narrated slides and some talked about each person in their families. Two of my brother-in-laws brought me to tears as they shared tender heartaches and desired strengths. My Dad told us how proud he was of us all and that he had been touched and uplifted. We wrote an additional verse to “Because We Have Been Given Much” and dedicated it to them. The cousins had a wrestling match and we watched tons of old videos of us when we were young. I had no idea there was video of me when I was six or seven. Each clip came with a story and a laugh. Everyone took turns cooking and we all cleaned together. We played “Mafia” and we screamed and laughed and barked out accusations throughout the evening. I talked to my sister late into the night about raising children and life. I got very little sleep. The 2014 Allan Family Reunion was one more reminder that I have the ultimate, most incredible, loving, crazy, wacky brothers, sisters and parents any person could even remotely imagine in their life having. I have it all. I love them with all my heart.

The Funicular

So, my sister Sherri thought she could stump me today by showing me some pictures asking me to see if I could guess what they were of. No problemo!! The Funicular – my ride I worked on when I was younger. Family reunions always bring up old memories, and we have brought up the days when nearly all of us worked at Magic Mountain. I had forgotten that when I worked the Front Gate I received an award for “balancing” my till thirty days in a row. The Funicular was a tram then went up a mountainside right next to the Grand Carousel, which I worked at as well. When I saw the pictures I knew right away what they were of because when the Funicular would break down, which it did quite often, I would have to climb up the hill to the manual controls to get it moving again. That hill and I have memories and in the intense 100 degree heat they weren’t always the fondest thoughts either. Those pictures brought back so many recollections and feelings – isn’t that what family reunions are for though??

Special People

When special people touch our lives then suddenly we see how beautiful and wonderful our world can really be. Aunt Helen and Uncle Bob came and ate dinner with us tonight. It was so good to see them again. They have always played a special role in my life – probably because I remember being around them for so many years. Uncle Bob has given me advice and Aunt Helen’s is so genuinely interested in every aspect of my life, or anyone else’s. Many years ago I stopped at LAX with Dad and Melba and we visited with Uncle Bob and Aunt Helen in their hotel room. I had a question that I needed answered and Uncle Bob took the time to answer it for me. Aunt Helen asked for Kyla and Sam to sing for them tonight and she held Hinckley as they visited. Uncle Bob talked to the younger kids and told them they looked like great future missionaries. They enjoyed our “family movie” that Brooke made for us and Aunt Helen thought that her children should start doing the same. We all hugged and embraced them as they left and once again our lives were touched and we were elevated.

Day 1

I am writing this post at one in the morning and the house is half alive. We are at my family reunion and this is what it is all about!! Food, jokes, old stories, laughter, sarcasm, home movies, running, chasing, games, ping pong, dodgeball, sleeping absolutely anywhere, red cups with names on them, hugs, sweat, fans, pizza, catching up, family prayer, getting reacquainted and just a whole lot of craziness. Someone said, “What family stays up half the night doing this?” I said, don’t ever compare our family to anyone else’s. This is Day 1. I had better get to sleep because Day 2 has already arrived.

I’m Cool

When you come from Alaska you are cool! I don’t just mean you are hip and that you “have it all together” but you maintain coolness in your system. We layer in Alaska, we don’t show our bare arms much, our skin is not akin to much sun and our vitamin D levels are rock bottom. While shopping at Target before my trip I bumped into, or was divinely drawn to a clearance shelf of air conditioners. I bought one for $60. I’m not sure if my motive was selfish or generous, nonetheless I bought a bin a dropped the air conditioner in it and off to Alaska Airlines it went. It now rests, ever so lovely, in Kyla and Sam’s window. I am cool. Now, bless their hearts, Sam and Kyla also put some effort into a cooling system of their own. See attached pictures. One need not mention which unit is functioning at the moment but all that truly matters, is that, we are cool!!!!

Just stinkin’ good

Made as much as it was on Coney Island in the 1920’s, the soft, cold, creamy custard tastes exactly like it should but nothing else. It is thick, velvety, intensely rich, smoother than ice cream. All frozen custard is ice cream, but not all ice cream is custard. Thank you Nielsens for allowing me to take this off your wall. Thank you for being guided to Nielsens this evening when it was buy one concrete and get the second free. Thank you for the vanilla, cherry custard concrete and for how well it went down me and thank you to Blaze for modeling the perfect “I think this is the best frozen custard I have ever eaten” photo.

A Dog Tale (Tail)

I got home yesterday afternoon after running a number of errands in preparation for our trip and noticed that Tank was not home. He always does a dance before the food drops in his bowl and dinner is usually served between 4:30 and 5:00. We all assumed he took at dip at Fish Creek but the evening wore on and the friendly bark at the front door never came. Lane drove to Tank’s secret spots but he wasn’t there either. We left for the airport, solemn and worried. Tank developed some dry skin areas where his collar was so we had to take his collar off which meant his ID was not on him. Tragically, our boy was out in the elements all night. I waited and prayed earnestly today that Heavenly Father would return our hairy guy, most especially for Lane. They are the buds. Brooke made up fliers and Lane put them up around town, not his first time doing this task either. The call came. Tank had gone swimming at Fish Creek, hung out with a guy and his boy and then had a sleep over. Tank you are great. You are known around town and you have had your picture on the Post Office wall more times that the worst FBI criminal. Glad to have you home and I know you are sleeping on the downstairs couch.

Gnarly

I love the word gnarly, so much that I find myself using it on a daily basis. For instance, Rhea and I just made it through getting our bags checked. It was gnarly. I think TSA thinks I am targeting them with unusual items in my carry on like the last time with my Cricut. This time I am carrying two boxes with some tiles in it that go with gifts I have made the girls. The gal inquired as to what they were and I explained it to her. Her stare back cautioned me that it is best not to say too much. I didn’t and after a double scan I was released from her clutches. Getting my carry ons through TSA is a gnarly process. Hey but I have good news. The definition of gnarly has two different meanings. One means difficult or hairy, bad or nasty and the other means very good. We are boarding our flight so check out this gnarly photo.

Mondays

Mondays have been kind of tough days for me all my life. There is no big explanation but I just perceive them to be kind of blank days. Not a whole lot happens on Mondays. Not a lot of excitement. Maybe I am tired from Sundays, when in reality, that is supposed to be a day of rest, so what the heck? Today, I turned my Monday around, just for kicks. Rhea and I left for the DMV and got all the way to Palmer when she remembered that she forgot her wallet. I said, “let’s go anyway!” We did, she passed and we were all smiles. I pulled over on the way home because the colors in the fields were absolutely beautiful. Rhea took a few shots. Gosh I love this state. We stopped at Target and shopped but when we went to Joanns I couldn’t find my purse. We drove back to Target and I headed to customer service where someone had turned it in.  I love honest people. I had dinner with some great ladies tonight and Deb gave me a knob for my newly painted table. It looks stunning. Tomorrow she will grab another one. What a great way to end my new Mondays!!

 

 

To Create

To create and make and do and work are words that lift me higher than any others. Deb and I talk a lot about what it does to us inside and also how we feel when we make and give to others. I am making six tote bags for my nieces for the family reunion which is coming up this week. We are all meeting in Heber City from Saturday until Wednesday. I just finished up another project that is being packed in my suitcase for Kyla and Micah. Tonight we are having a meeting with my friends so we can start our Christmas projects. There are some that call me crazy but I prefer to listen to Harold Whitman. He said, “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs in people who have come alive.” Can’t blog right now, I have to ruffle.