2009 Branson Family Reunion

Ty and his cousin Brice. He came all the way from France

The ugly alligator snapper at the turtle pond! We told the kids he would bite their arms off so they would stay away from the edge of the pond

We called this the "Turtle Pond" because there were always tons of turtles out on the grass and swimming around in the pond. The kids loved coming here.

I was afraid Tag would fall in the pond so I kept him in the stroller

At the turtle pond, this was one of the many walks we took most days!

What was daddy thinking...giving a 2 yr old mountain dew!

I love this picture of him

Ty's first fish...he was so excited

Ty dressed in Tag's clothes...this is what I came home too when Josh was watching the boys

On the back deck of the cabin...Ty, Brent, Ashlynn, Brelle, Beau, and Brice

We loved the infiniti pool

They missed the paddleboats, so they decided to canoe...very smart idea

Paddle Boats..what a workout!!

The kids loved the playground at Big Cedar

Grammy with the Brazier twins, Kate and Brelle

Me and Carrie with dad.. WE LOVE YOU!!!

The Brazier girls

Bruce, Hailey, Beau, Carrie, and Bree after riding the fun go carts

Movie night...we thought it was so cute that Beau and Hailey fell asleep together

Brian teaching the kids how to cook the fish they caught.

Grammy and Poppy with some of their grandkids

Bree following after all the boys...at one point she was trying to pee like a boy...picture not posted for obvious reasons!

I love the face Bree is making here towards Brice

Bree, Hailey, Brice, and Bruce

Seb, Ty, and Brice

This was behind our cabin...the kids were here fishing a lot.

Getting ready to leave for family pictures

Brent with the fish he caught...proud papa Drue

Ashylnn, Bruce, Beau and Bree

Bruce floating down the lazy river

One of the honey do's my mom had for Josh...cutting down a tree limb

Josh taking the kids for a ride at mom and dads!

At home before we left for Branson

Every 2 years we have a Scott Family Reunion. The past 2 reunions have been in Branson Missouri. There are so many things for the kids to do at Big Cedar (where we stay) and Table Rock Lake is right there as well. This year we had to battle the rain nearly everyday we were there, but the kids still had a great time. Us adults wanted warmer weather so we could swim with the kids and not freeze to death! As we get older we don't really enjoy the cold water...what a bunch of sissies! We have debated going elsewhere for the next reunion, but the accomadations are so nice at Big Cedar that we are afraid if we change we will be disappointed. With that being said, I think we are going to try and stay at the cabin in Bear Lake for the next reunion. Now we are really talkin' about some FREEZING COLD WATER!!! YIKES! However, it will be a lot cheaper for most of us to get to Bear Lake and who really likes to spend all their vacation money just getting to the vacation?

We arrived at Big Cedar on Saturday May 23rd and left on Sunday May 31st. As many of you may know, my father has lost his sight, so Josh and I flew into to Oklahoma City on Thursday the 21st, so we could help get things packed and drive the boat out to Branson. Carrie and Brian and their family also drove in on the 21st and we were so happy to spend some extra time with their family and have their help in packing and getting the boat all ready to go. It was fun to be back home and be in the home I grew up in. I never thought I would miss my hometown, but I do and want so badly to move back. We spent all of Friday getting everything ready and I think we were all tired by that evening. We still had a few things to do on Saturday morning and by 10:30 or so we were on our way. I would love to say that it was a short drive, but it felt like forever long. My legs were so cramped that I was so happy to get there and stretch them out. My parents got a 2 bedroom cabin, 3 bedroom cabin, and 1 room at the lodge. Our family stayed in the loft of the 3 bedroom cabin. We also had Carrie and Brian's family and Lauri's family staying there! Yes...it was the noisy cabin with kids everywhere. Rikki and Seb stayed in the 2 bedroom cabin with mom and dad. She has a newborn, so we thought the quiet cabin would be a good place for them to stay. Drue and Kristen and Mike and Brita's families stayed over in the lodge. They too have little babies so we thought they might enjoy the peace and quiet too. No, it wasn't the best situation to have them over in the lodge, but for some reason they couldn't give my mom 3 cabins...which still doesn't make sense to us! We all had very nice accomdations and beds to sleep in and that is always nice.

Some of the activities that we did throughout the week were: swimming, lazy river, fishing, boating, paddle boats, canoes, fireworks, water balloons, nature hikes, and lots of playing. After the kids went to bed we would stay up and play SkipBo (a fun card game) and eat lots of junk!! We were all so excited when my dad played with us and he could see the cards a little! I think the kids favorite part was riding the shuttle! We took the shuttle everywhere around Big Cedar and they LOVED it! Each family had a night for dinner and it was fun to get together each evening and eat! It was crazy and loud with 27 people in 1 cabin, but so much fun too! I loved every minute of our trip. Josh went fly fishing or fishing on the lake every morning and I know that was his favorite part of the trip. He would have stayed all day long if he could have, but his "mean" wife wouldn't let him. We took a group picture on Monday and of course it was raining, so it was a bit crazy! We also took family pictures and of course not one of ours turned out! I was so mad because everyone else had such good pictures! The kids looked great, but Josh and I just couldn't get it together! What a bummer!

I dreaded having to say goodbye to everyone, but the end did come and I was very sad! I hate having to say goodbye to my family and know that I won't see them for a long time! I know it was very hard on my mom and especially my dad and I felt bad that all but 1 of us live so far away! Maybe one day we will all live a little closer...I sure hope so. On Sunday we hurried and packed everything up becuase we had to be out by 10:30am. We were a little late, but not bad for packing up so many people. The ride home felt very long and I was happy to be at mom and dad's again. We flew out the next day, so we unpacked everything when we got home and dried the boat out, so we could take it back the next morning. We didn't go to bed until after 11:00pm and poor Josh was exhausted from having to drive and unpack! I know he was so happy to go to bed.

The next morning we woke up early to help dad with some things he needed to get done. I took dad to get a new driver's license, to his office to get some things in order, and then to the bank. It was very hard for all of us to see our dad not be able to see or to know that he wasn't able to see us or his grandkids. The only way to explain is that it rips your heart out to see someone you love lose something so precious. I cannot imagine never being able to see my husband, children, or family members again. All the things that my dad loves has really been taken away from him. The profession that he loved he had to retire from, the outdoors, hunting, fishing, gardening all gone. He is a strong man, but I know that this had brought him to his knees in prayer many times asking for a miracle to occur and to be able to see enough to function and enjoy life. While he is not in total darkness, he can see bits and pieces of things. He explains it as walking around in a haze or fog. I know the lightening also plays a part of him being able to see better or worse. They have done everything possible for now and we are just waiting and praying for that miracle to happen. They say it could take up to a year for his optic nerve to heal or it could stay the way it is now! I think that is what really makes it hard...we just don't know what is going to happen. I was just glad that we were there to help him get some things done! I wanted to stay and never leave him, but that is just not practical when you have a family and home so far away. With that being said, I hope that one day we will be able to move back and be there to help my mom and dad out.

After I was done running errands with dad, Josh helped him get the boat back to storage. I am so grateful for my husband. He is always so willing to help and never complains about it. I know my parents are very grateful for all of his help too! He is such a good man! The morning went by so fast and then it was time to leave for the airport. It was really hard to say goodbye to my parents and I know we both cried. We had such a wonderful time and I am so grateful to have such a wonderful family! Nothing matters more in this life than the gospel and your family! I think I have really had my eyes opened to just how important it really is. I have always loved being with my family, but my love has grown even deeper from this experience with my father.

I would love to say that it was smooth sailing from there, but that is never the case when we fly! We had to wait on the plane for over an hour because the bathroom was broken because some idiot put a diaper down the toilet! Who does that? The kids did pretty good at first, but then it started getting hotter and longer and they got more and more adjitated. I would love to say that Josh was a lot of help, but he wanted to start killing people because he was hot, tired, and stuck in an airplane. They finally let us off to go to the bathroom because they would only have one toilet for the flight. It was nice to get off the plane and cool down a little. We left over an hour late and were just so happy to get home. Ty was such a champ! They only had the 1 toilet so either the line was too long, or the seat belt light was on and we couldn't go. At one point he was in tears because he needed to go so bad and I told him...just pee in your pullup, it's okay! Those words never come out of my mouth, but what do you do. He kept saying as he was crying, "I need to go pee in the bathroom mom!" He held it all the way to Las Vegas! I was so proud of him, but felt so bad at the same time.

Thanks to all our family for the wonderful time! We already miss all of you and can't wait to be together again!