A.D. Palmer Family Reunion 2013

 The A.D. Palmer reunion comes around every three years.  It is when all my first cousins cram into the cabin (or campground and lodge if they're smart) and have an awesome time.  I grew up going to the cabin in Waterton, AB every summer.  I have so many wonderful memories there of my grandparents and all my cousins' antics.  We are all so close because of those summers.  Many of us have roomed together at college and we still keep in touch.  The term "frousins" (friends + cousins) is what we use now to more accurately describe our relationship.  It's fun now to watch the next generation grow up and become friends.  I have many close friends that are my second cousins, relationships built at similar family reunions and solidified during  mooching vacations and BYU days. 

 

 Eva and Andy.  Andy is  my cousin Andrea's son.  These two were great buddies all summer.  We stayed at their house a couple times in Utah during our trip.  Andrea's sons refer to Eva and Sophie as their "couzies" (cute little cousins).

 There is a ramp now at the cabin for Evan, my cousin Justin's son who has SMA.  All the kids used it as a slide or bike ramp.  Sophie naturally loved it.  Later in the week she started sliding down on her belly.  She was wearing Gracie's dress so Gracie asked her to take it off.  Then Sophie started sliding down on her stomach wearing nothing but a diaper before I could stop her.  "Sophie Style" was born.  Miraculously she didn't get any splinters!

 Cousin golf tournament on the most beautiful course in the world.  Devin was flying into meet us at this time.  Otherwise he would have been there. 

 Red Rock Canyon crawl.  My kids pretty much hated it.  Maybe next time will be better...

 Andrea and Sarie.  Andrea is one of my favorite people in the entire world.  A very exclusive club.  We were roommates at BYU for 3 years fulfilling a childhood dream of mine.  Except in my dream Andrea was a dentist and I was a brain surgeon. 

 Angie is also one of my favorite people in the entire world.  We also lived together at BYU and I'm really sad we didn't have digital cameras and blogs back then.   Or on second thought, maybe that was a good thing.  :)  Angie and Nat are doing a great job making fun of us in this picture.

Family Olympics.  Sword fights, foot races, swing your thing, and parachute launching.

 Look at Eva fly!

 Eva had a little strider bike that she rode all over town. 

 Surrey Derby!  This was a new addition to the reunion and an impromptu one at that.  I think it'll be a new tradition.  Eva was hilarious.  She rod around on the front yelling, "We're the Waterton Racers!!  Watch out for the Waterton Racers!!"

 I was trying to catch the group and I saw this little girl walking across the street.  I literally thought she was Sophie walking with some strange man.  She was wearing the exact same outfit (a 4-yr-old hand-me-down), had the exact same crazy hair-do, was the exact same age, and now for the crazy part, her name was Ophie.  Seriously.  (Short for Ophelia.)  So I had to go find my Sophie to get a pic with her doppelganger. Ophie. 

 Then we decided to launch kids into the lake.  Nice activity, right?