Barrus Family Reunion, Day 3

Today's activities included breakfast, an auction, clean up and ship out, lunch at Brad's, and a temple trip.  Here are a couple of pictures that don't have much to do with specific activities, but which I took today.

Our sleeping beauty.

This deer is the Brian Head mascot, Meadow.

She's completely unafraid of people and will sometimes wander into the hotel through the automatic doors and make a dash for the buffet.

When I mentioned it to the woman at the desk, she dashed out to make sure Meadow couldn't get in.

Brandt and I were playing Luck.

Aren't his flower antenna darling?

Blythe is blowing up a ball.

The auction was an idea from the Brinkerhoffs.  Every Brinkerhoff family reunion, they auction off stuff that people bring in order to raise funds for future reunions.  We had fun things to bid on, and everyone got into it.  There was a lovely oil painting of Loch Ness, complete with Nessie, a basket of fun items from Mexico, Cammie's salsa and pie filling, a date night basket, and several African/Asian artifacts from George including an African stool, a carved scepter, elephants, and a gazelle statue.  We raised $175 which covered costs for this reunion, and added a bit to a new reunion account.  It was fun to try and outbid each other.  Highest selling items were the carved scepter for $86, Cammie's yummies for $50, and a plastic fork that Alexandra bid $50.  I think we can call that more of a donation than an actual purchase.  She didn't go away with much.

Alexander, Alice, and a $50 fork.

Lots and lots of Barri

After a yummy lunch of burgers, fries, and shakes at Brad's, we met at the Cedar City Temple to do sealings.  We were a large group, including Craig and Monica who drove up from St. George to be with us.  We did family names that David brought.  It was wonderful to be around the altar and to be putting families together forever.  It was the first time we had been to the Cedar City Temple and it was beautiful.  Brandt, Brianne, and Annie joined us in the temple by doing baptisms.  Blythe stayed with Lydia and Jace at Annie's apartment.  It was a terrific way to finish up our reunion; uniting family members as united family members.

When we went to collect Blythe from Annie's apartment, Emily and Nate went to collect their younger kids, too.  They wound up playing a rousing game of Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza.  They slapped cards and each other, laughed and laughed, and tried to keep each other from winning.  Such a fun game played by such a fun group of people!

Because we are staying another night at the hotel in Brian Head, we headed back up the canyon.  We prepared our stuff for packing tomorrow, and then went to see James and Alisa.  They did not stay at the hotel where the rest of us were, but at an AirBnB they rented.  They had Ethan and Callie, Murray, and Cory, Erika, and Carter with them, and some of them weren't coming until today, so they needed to stay on.  It was a great house, and we talked and visited and watched Carter roam around.  We also made further plans for hiking the Narrows tomorrow.  It was a lovely evening, and we returned to the hotel for a bit of a swim before bed.  

 

 

Brandt's selfies as we hung out with James, Alisa, and Co.

It really has been so wonderful to be with the Barri.  We love them and felt that love grow as we were together, cementing those eternal relationships in meaningful, lovely ways.