Olson Family Reunion

This last weekend we went to the 2009 Olson Family Reunion. We have a reunion every 3 years with all of my dad's side of the family. It is always at a different place and always a blast. This year we were lucky because the reunion was at the Rockin R Ranch and was only a 3 1/2 hour drive from us. We loved having the reunion here. There was tons to do, the food and activities were all included in the price, and we got to spend 3 awesome days with our awesome family.

Top 10 Things We LOVED About Family Reunion
(in no particular order)
1. Road Trippin'
The boys were really good for our drives even though they didn't nap nearly as much as I was hoping. We caravaned down with my mom and Mel, so it was fun to stop at the DQ with them in Scipio. The Magnadoodle was a lifesaver, and Ian and I enjoyed some time to talk while we drove through wide open spaces.
2. Cousin Time & Campfire
It's always a blast for me to get together with my cousins, and now there is a new generation of cousins that get to play together. Weston misses his cousins most of the time, so getting to run around with them for 3 whole days was heaven. I loved that he had playmates to entertain him.
The first night we were all there we had a big campfire. Weston was so exhausted, but made it through most of the singing. He loved the 3 Chartreuse Buzzards song. He also requested I Am A Child of God. It's his favorite song that he knows all the words to. I could hardly sing because I kept tearing up. There's something special about being with all the family and knowing we get to be together forever.
3. Horses
The Ranch coordinated trail rides every day for anyone in our group who wanted to go. Ian and I went the first day we were there. The kids got to have horse rides every day too. Weston was a big fan of riding the horses.
4. Archery
The Ranch also has a large archery field. Weston really wanted to try it out and they let him! He actually did pretty well too. He even got an arrow or two into the hay beneath the targets.
5. Stairs
Ok, so the stairs weren't my favorite thing, but they for sure topped Davin's list, so I thought I would include them in our family's top 10. He constantly was going for the stairs. Unfortunately he isn't skilled at getting back down, so my entire family were constantly having to watch him or pull him down and try to distract him.
6. The Playground
The kids, especially Weston, had so much fun on the playground. It was perfect. I am so grateful that the Ranch had it. After spending the majority of his time on it, I decided Weston really really needs a swing set with a slide. One of these days . . .
7. Fishing at Otter Creek Reservoir
My parents got all the big grandkids their very own fishing poles and nets so they could all go fishing. It was quite the excursion. No fish were caught, but I considered the trip a success. Davin loved filling the bags on the side of stroller with rocks, and Weston had fun reeling in his empty hook and retrieving more marshmallows for bait. Weston and Lizzie were fascinated with the worms and wanted to hold them. We even allowed them to bring them back to the ranch. We had a little incident on our way back though. Davin got the marshmallow bait bag open and chowed down on them! The bag says "not for human consumption" but he didn't seem to have any side effects. Whew!
8. Hiking
Ian and Auntie Jules took Weston on the hike Saturday morning. I stayed behind with Dav. He was quite the trooper, but I'm not sure he would have made it without his trusty poking stick.
9. Canoeing & Tubing
Yes, I am cheating and combining these two because they are both water activities. Ian took Weston canoeing in the little pond at the Ranch. He thought it was great. I got eaten by mosquitoes taking the pictures. Ian and I left the kids behind and went tubing down the river with my parents, Joy and Jim, and my cousins Jeff & Kim. It was so much fun. So quiet. The weather was perfect, and we all just laughed and had fun. I wore my arm muscles out from paddling to avoid rocks, logs, and bushes, but it was totally worth it.
10. Poker
I realize this doesn't sound like the most wholesome family reunion activity, but it was a ton of fun. We didn't gamble anything, just played for fun. I had never played, so it was cool to learn. The cousins stayed up way too late eating snacks and playing Texas Hold'em and cracking each other up. We almost got kicked out the second night because we were being too loud. That night wasn't as fun because we had to be so quiet. Thanks cousin Mike for teaching us amateurs! The last hand of the last night determined our 2009 Olson Family Reunion Poker Champion. And the winner was . . . Ian! Congrats babe! :)
Needless to say we had a grand ole time. We also had a good time at the rodeo, which I didn't mention because I have no pictures of it, but it was cool (if you want to see pics from the rodeo check out my sister's blog HERE). After the actual rodeo Weston got to ride a sheep. Pretty fun. We got home Sunday afternoon and have had a few days of relaxation and sleeping in our own beds, but tomorrow afternoon we jet off to Oregon for Aly and Ryan's wedding, so no rest for us just yet.

Quick addition: If you are family or are interested, Davin had his 15 month check up last week. I was SO hoping he was going to have pulled back up onto the charts in his weight, but alas, he was still under. He is still growing though. My little peanut weighs only 19lbs. 9oz and is 29 1/2 inches tall (10th%). His head is holding strong in the 45th percentile. We did discover he had an ear infection, so I was grateful that we had that appointment right before we left for family reunion and were able to have him on antibiotics while we were there instead of feeling miserable. I still have my fingers crossed that by his next appointment (2 years) he will be back up on the charts and walking. :)