So Many Tanners

On day two of the family reunion, everyone in attendance gathered in one place at one time, which was no easy task. The immediate members of the Tanner family are spread all over the world, so the amount of relatives gathered at these biennial reunions is typically about half of the total posterity.

That's how a big a family grows when you have 13 children. It has been years since all of the siblings have been together because several of them have been away serving missions, so this year was a momentous occasion.

The "286 and Counting" is credited to Troy's 93 year old grandmother and her late husband. That is one large posterity.

Half of our immediate family was missing due to a recent move.

Poor Blake was so sick with the stomach flu during the family photo shoot. 

He did his best to put on a happy face even though he looked as white as a ghost.

It's too bad he felt so under the weather because there was a station set up for the kids with endless collage supplies. Nash spent an hour adding items to his masterpiece.

We had to cut it short and head home before Blake contaminated everyone (or upchucked all over the main pavilion again). And even though I was lamenting the loss of our typical 4th of July traditions and dead tired from a night with little sleep, I always walk away from these reunions with a grateful heart. I'm thankful that our children have opportunities to see that they are part of something greater and to recognize the sacrifices of those who have paved the way for them.

Actual 4th of July

I was happy that we had an almost 4th of July a week prior to the actual holiday, filled with some of our favorite traditions.

Because this year, a family reunion took place of our normal festivities. Gathering 150+ people is no easy feat, and the 4th of July weekend was the only date that would work around other camps and commitments.

Even though it's great to catch up with extended family, I have to admit that I was really disappointed that the 4th wasn't going to be filled with our usual boating, barbecue, Stadium of Fire and fireworks. 

I know, I know, I'm an adult and I should have rolled with the punches a little better. But I just love love love our traditions that symbolize America and the peak of summer. The 4th of July has always been my favorite holiday. And after a tough year, the lack of celebrations was just one more disappointment to add to the list.

I kept trying to remind myself that we would have many more 4th of Julys to celebrate. And to quit whining about it already and try to make the best out of the situation.

But I think we were doomed from the get-go.

We wanted to have some semblance of a holiday because the reunion didn't start until mid-afternoon. We woke up and went out to breakfast which is Troy's favorite thing to do. He actually got this holiday off work which hasn't happened yet this year since he works with foreign markets.

The boys sat outside in rocking chairs and Troy taught them how to play checkers. That was the highlight of the day.

It was kind of a downward spiral from there. We had planned on going to a local "beach" to play for a few hours, but by the time we were done with breakfast and games, Crew needed a nap. And then after hours of packing up five people for a camping reunion (which meant including bedding for the cabin stay), it was time to head to the campground.

Troy and I had no data left on our phones after using them so much in New York, so we looked up directions beforehand instead of using navigation. We missed a turn, which led us high into the wrong mountain. The winding roads made me sick, of course, so I switched to the driver's seat before we turned around and headed all the way back down and back up into the right mountain.

We eventually made it to the campground. But the next 24 hours were filled with me constantly chasing around three little boys in the woods. Mostly a certain one year old that I couldn't take my eyes off for one second. And, of course, every conversation I had while running around was about having a fourth boy, which isn't exactly what I love reliving over and over and over. Family reunions are great when you are in a happy place in life, but when you're not, the conversations can be torture.

The rest of the reunion was filled with very little sleep on hard surfaces and cleaning up several rounds of the stomach flu that Blake came down with the next morning. Which in turn trickled to the rest of us. By lunch time, we just gave up and went home.

Thankfully, the sickness didn't strike until after the boys spent a good long day playing their hearts out with lots of cousins in the woods. It's amazing how fascinating those sticks and rocks were.

They gave all of the children flags to wave while singing Yankee Doodle. Crew spent a good twenty minutes placing and replacing his flag in the umbrella stand.

If nothing else, we at least got to enjoy the golden hour of sunlight shining in through the beautiful trees.

And ended up covered in dirt by the end of the night.

We staggered each of our boys' bedtimes since we were all piled together in one room and enjoyed a gorgeous mountain sunset in between negotiating with each one. We could even see a few faraway fireworks shows from high in the mountains.

There were no fireworks allowed on the campground, so a roasting pit was formed instead.

We let Blake stay up late to enjoy some s'mores with the biggest marshmallows he had ever seen. It's a good thing he ended the night on a high note since the next day ended up being miserable for him.

Okay, so it wasn't a total disaster. And the Tanner family is so quick to show interest in the details of our lives and build us up, which I know is rare in families. But I'm already counting the days until next year, when we can celebrate America with our usual traditions.

Michigan Wrap-Up

Just a few more things I can't leave out that made our trip to Michigan complete:

1. My besties (and former college roommates) and our husbands took a quick two day trip to Ohio, leaving our collective 8 children behind. There is nothing more refreshing than a full 48 hours of nonstop laughing without worrying about the needs of our small children. 

The main purpose for our trip was to spend the day at Cedar Point; only the best theme park in the entire world. 

The Top Thrill Dragster was by far my favorite ride. Look at that thing! Straight up and straight back down. I'm a bit of an adrenaline junkie. We were all exhausted and feeling a little sick before we even hit the dinner hour. None of us minded calling it a day. We rode everything we wanted and we didn't mind starting that five hour drive a bit earlier. But it's always a little depressing to discover that our stomachs aren't what they once were.

2. My ten year class reunion was scheduled a week after my brother's reception, so we made it work to attend. I am one of those people who loved high school. I cried when it ended. 

Troy was even a good sport and came with me, which I was so happy about. In fact, that was my Christmas present last year. A typed note, sealed in an envelope, informing me that he would attend my reunion without complaining. I'm not even kidding. He followed through, and I think he may have even enjoyed the food and company. Not that I was surprised. He is always more outgoing and at ease in those types of situations than I am.

My best friend from high school, Abby, and I spent hours catching up earlier in the week, but it's always nice to have another excuse to get together. 

3. The boys left the state on a high note when the pilot on our puddle jumper flight invited them into the cockpit, and told them they could push "whatever buttons they wanted."

It was kind of a dangerous invitation, but the pilot ensured us that they couldn't mess anything up.

And with that, we headed home with a sea of memories and a summer well spent with people we adore.

He Lives In You

What do you get when you combine:

2 parents

13 children (and 13 spouses)

78 grandchildren (and 42 spouses so far) ←Troy's generation

103 great-grandchildren (and 6 on the way) ←Blake and Nash's generation

257 immediate members of the Tanner family

Every two years, we get together for a big family reunion.  Probably only three quarters of the family were actually in attendance this year because we are scattered far and wide. And we still are a humongous group.

I LOVE Tanner gatherings. There are so many good people doing great things with their lives that there is never enough time to soak in all of the conversations we want to have. 

This reunion was so well planned and executed. Many hands worked together to provide three meals a day for countless heads. There were presentations from recently returned mission presidents, published authors, and experts on our family history. We square danced. Canoed. Played volleyball. Climbed through a ropes course. But mostly, we talked. And talked. And talked.

During one of the presentations that would not have held the attention of small children, one family was in charge of outdoor children's activities. There must have been at least 60 children from the ages of 2-10, so our boys were in heaven with all of their second cousins.

They started by constructing rockets.

There was a whole apparatus set up to launch them into the air, which eventually led to an activity for the adult cousins to see which rocket could travel the farthest.

Who knew painting a rock could provide endless entertainment?

There were also stations set up for the kids to make crowns and fruit loop necklaces. Finally, they each received a bag of cream, salt and ice to shake and turn into homemade ice cream.

It took about twenty minutes to transform into ice cream, which meant that I did most of the shaking, but the end result was delicious.

Being up in the mountains meant that there were all sorts of opportunities to become one with nature. But what did our boys gravitate towards? The broken down wooden trailer near the pavilion. Whenever I lost Nash, I knew just where to look to find him.

"He Lives In You," from the Broadway version of The Lion King, was chosen as the theme this year. The song is a reminder to Simba that when his father died, he never really left him.

In reference to the theme, we remembered and celebrated the amazing person that Troy's grandpa, William Tanner, was and is. He passed away ten years ago, about a week after I met Troy. His legacy is remarkable. I feel like I know him personally after all the stories I've heard over the years. He wasn't afraid to talk to anyone and he left behind a legacy of missionary work and happiness. And a huge posterity. This year's theme was a reminder that he really does live in all of us, in one way or another.

While waiting for lunch one day, Troy's talented cousin sang a powerful rendition of "He Lives In You" that got us all fired up.

There was a table set up where we could write letters to our 10 full-time missionaries/mission presidents that are currently serving around the world.

We spent most of our time visiting inside the large pavilion that could fit everyone. One day, our family was in charge of picking up 36 pizzas to feed the troops. 

Tricia's husband had to leave early to get back to school, but the rest of us sported our reunion shirts with pride.

Our boys were smitten, as usual, with Uncle Todd.

Let's just take a minute and note the awesomeness of the t-shirt hanging off Blake's shoulder (why don't t-shirt companies make children's sizes for mass production?) and the burn marks all over Nash's arm. Gotta love it when your kids look like ragamuffins.

As usual after Tanner gatherings, we left feeling impressed, motivated, supported, and loved. We sure are blessed in the family department. I don't think it's really that common to have such a huge family where everyone adores and is so respectful of one another.