Families Are Forever.....r

  What a GREAT weekend!  There are events that happen that just somehow stick in your mind and will forever remain in your heart.  This past weekend was one of those occasions.

    Friday was the day Cache Bisel was doing his endowment work in the Mt. Timpanogos Temple, in preparation for his mission to Lima, Peru this November.  Cache is a really good young man.  When Dad was still alive, Cache would come down and go out to the barnyard and work around.  He would get on one of the ponies and ride up to the window and yell.  Dad would get up and go to the window and Cache would show him what he had been working on with the pony.  Dad always loved to see Cache come in the driveway.  After Cache was finishing doing whatever he had done, he would come to the house and tell Dad what he had been doing.  Dad loved it.  It takes a certain young man to love his Grandpa enough and want to please him enough to give him time like he did.  Cache will be a great missionary.

      After the temple, everyone began gathering up to Bench Creek.  Mary Lou's family hosted dinner that night, with a scrumptious pork loin roast, potato salad, corn on the cob and fresh tomatoes.  Mark and Jessie,  Paul and Laura's family and Laura and Justin helped Mary Lou and Al and we were all ready to sit and relax around the fire after such a beautiful day and a wonderful dinner. It was Tess's birthday, so we had birthday cake and sang to her to celebrate her special day! Rick got out his guitar and we sang some good ole' songs.  The fire is somehow quite mesmerizing and everyone seems to settle in and enjoy visiting with one another. We all joined together to close the day in family prayer.

   Saturday morning, Jo and Bill hosted a pancake, sausage and eggs-to-order breakfast.  Despite the fact we had indulged in a big dinner, we all seemed to have voracious appetites for breakfast.  Immediately following breakfast, Allen, Stephen and Cole quickly put a sandbox together and the second the sand was dumped in from the backhoe, the grandkids all hopped in and started moving sand.  The sandbox proved to be very enjoyable with the kids all weekend.  

  Tim had brought us a huge equipment tire, and next DeLoy directed Allen where to dig and how deep, then the tire was placed in the hole for a climbing apparatus and a run-through tunnel and hide-a-way.   Between the swings, the sandbox and the tire, there was never a child begging for something to do.  It's funny, the kids just seem to get along with each other, without any problem.  How satisfying it is to watch these cousins come together and play like they are best friends.

 Grandpa Earl and some of his grandchildren...he does love his grandkids!

     After the play ground was built, we proceeded out to the gate-fence area....

                                    where Uncle Al gave all of us a lesson in painting.

  The grandchildren--these would be my generation's grandchildren and Mom and  Dad's GREAT grandchildren--were given sponge paint brushes and the adults had the real deal.

                               We painted---oopps---stained the rail fence, then painted the gate.

    The men were lifted up on the backhoe to the gate and they stripped the bark off the logs.  Al and Paul put linseed oil on the pine logs.

  The entrance looks really good and the whole family worked together on the project--from the littlest to the oldest.  What fun!

  By the time we finished and got back down to the grounds, we were all dying of thirst and hunger???  DeLoy, Trudy, Beau Dee, Cole, Aimee and Cache fed us gourmet sandwiches fruit and chips.  Lemonade quenched the thirst of the workers and we were on to the next activity.

  We talked about Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Bisel living in the little log house that still stands and how they didn't have running water in the house or an inside bathroom or any of the things we all have in our homes.  The children had a timed game of washing clothes on a washboard and running to hang it on a line.

 The adults challenged each other to an old-fashioned game of checkers.  Maybe the "old-timers" played checkers by an oil lamp?

 Then came the real challenge of jump rope.  Even our little ones 3 and 4 tried to jump--and they definitely mastered the chant--right up to the 12 and 13 years olds, the teens, the 40-year-olds, and even Aunt Jo.l  What a bunch of good sports! 

In the olden days, marbles were one of the favorite games of children and it still is today...even in the dirt.
     The kids play on the old antique equipment that is on the farm and we talked about how Grandpa pulled the plow, mower and rake with his horses.   The kids were given wooden spoons with a string and a bottling ring and they tried to catch the ring on the handle of the spoon.  Surprisingly, some were pretty good and they had lots of fun trying to perfect their technique.

  It just wouldn't be a Bisel Reunion if we didn't float the canal!  Off to the top of the canal to be picked up at DeLoy and Trudy's and....

 have the jumping-off-the bridge contest.  What fun everyone-- even those of us who choose to watch and snap the pictures.     

     When we got back to Bench Creek, Aunt Judy Ann and Uncle George were arriving and we knew dinner couldn't be far behind.  The Phillips -- George, Judy Ann, Justin, Kecia, Stephen, Allison, David, Logan, Duncan and Clayton treated us to chicken toastados, stacked high with plenty of cheese, sour cream, guacamole in addition to the scrumptious chicken.  Justin and Allison cooked up some unbelieable dutch oven desserts and we were so full we could hardly waddle to the campfire.

     The Phillips furnished a wonderful music program with Kecia on the banjo, Stephen on the fiddle and Uncle George on the guitar.  In between songs, we met (vicariously) John Burton Firth--Great Grandma Ethel's father, who came from England with his two brothers and Grandmother.  Their Grandmother walked across the plains and died at Ft. Laramie.  The brothers continued on to Salt Lake and went to live with their Uncle John and Aunt Jane until their Father could come a year later.  Kecia sang "Grandpa," which was a tear jerker for all of us, as she used to sing to it Dad when he was alive.  We then met Annie McNeil and Peter Duncan, who were Grandma Ethel's Grandparents on her mother's side.  Annie crossed the ocean on the same ship as John Burton Firth.  Peter had come a year earlier and he was so excited to see his sweetheart, he went to Ft.  Bridger to meet her.  To our delight, Stephen sang, "The Day the Squirrel Went Beserk in the First Self-Rightous 
Church."  It is hilarious and we all get a good laugh out of it!
Earl then portrayed Grandpa Stokes.  He had drawn a map of the  United States and showed us Grandpa and Grandma's life travels.  WOW!  We were all blown away.  We knew they moved frequently, but we did not realize how far and how often.  No wonder Mom loved stability and all of her brothers and sisters came to live with her!  Again, family prayer, for an ending to a beautiful fun-filled day.
     Everyone said they wanted to sleep in on Sunday morning and not have breakfast until 9 am, however, nothing kept the kids away from the sand box, swings, and tire.  The McNeil's hosted Sunday food with a variety of muffins, fruits, juices and milk for breakfast.  It was then time for Sunday meeting.  Earl conducted and Bill said the opening prayer. Earl shared his love of the land and of the gospel with everyone.  Trudy, JoDe, myself, Stephen, Jim, Ellie, Emma, DeLoy, Cache, Judy Ann, George, Billie Jo and Al all shared their thoughts and feelings, expressing love of our ancestors--particularly Mom and Dad--and the love of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  What a a truly beautiful meeting.  Judy Ann led us in "God Be With You" for the closing song.  
     Sunday dinner was so yummy!  Marinated grilled chicken, hashbrowns, corn on the cob and fresh tomatoes hit the spot for everyone and we did not have to worry about taking home leftovers. Spencer, Rob, Billie Jo, Olivia and Giselle shucked corn, cooked hashbrowns and cut tomatoes while Earl and Billie Sue grilled the chicken.  We finished off with the leftover birthday cake from Tess's birthday on Friday.  
     Reluctantly, people began breaking down their camps.  We all hate to see this weekend come to an end.  It is such a nice time set aside to spend with loved ones. The children all love one another and it is nice to see such friendships being formed at this age.  We all love and appreciate our parents so much for establishing this wonderful tradition and for the beautiful place we have to meet.  Not all of the family is able to be there...and we miss those who can't come.  They are still in our hearts and prayers and our love is still strong.  So...enjoy the show..."till me meet again."