Family Reunions...

UPDATE: My eldest Rachael attended the reunion - what a beauty! A rare and wonderful woman who calls herself my daughter and I glow like a magnesium phos trace round down range on a humid Afghan night, destined for a Taliban dome. My cousin Mike cooks a fine plethora of smörgåsbord, dry-rubbed/smoked meats, pies and the like. Terry can still throw a frozen rope. Dave likes to remind everyone about the time I pooped my pants and I love to tell his kids what a great and wonderful friend he was to me - I know, its a rather lop-sided affair that one, but I still love Dave very much...he saved my life more than once. He really did. James and Abby have the most wonderful children - I love them dearly. Will's kids are my boys. Wendy and Tim bring us to our knees with their children's smiles (sorry for mixing up the boys' names Wendy). And finally...trust your gut when the kids take off running in the gully - thanks for having my back Dad.

This weekend I am missing one to go to one (pregnant pause) I know you all well enough to know that you'll entertain an brief but all the same heartfelt explanation.

I recently returned from the Peoria Arizona Stake Youth Trek, where I was honored to be a Bosen, serving as a big brother to 15 amazing people. You may not know this, but Jessica Alba was a Bosen too. That's right. So was Moxxy Michaun and Mahvelous Miriam and Phather Phil.

I'm told we walked 17 miles, starting at 1:30 pm and ending at 1:30 am. No food. Some drink. At one point, the men were called to serve in the US Army and the women pulled .5 miles up hill. The Bosen girls took that hill like a storm unleashed on a dark night. Even loaning two of ours to another group to help them make the last little bit. Stunning.

I could write a book. I won't. The highlight for me...passing the Sacrament with the Bishops in our Stake. Thank you. Ma and Pa, brothers and sisters, thank you. I'll miss you this weekend, I'm headed north to reunite with the Smith's and Sharp's.

The sum total of who I took on that trek, includes all the people I will see this weekend. I was contemplating the totality of my life to this point and rekindling all those memories in preparation for The Gathering.

The Gathering consists of all the cousins over 40, in lawn chairs, gripping some legal beverage (root beer or lemonade that grandma made) and re-telling old tales with greater emphasis on their role in the story as victor or victim. As a relative outsider, my skills as a raconteur have to be Jordanesque or I could get trampled by larger families who have more influence.

You'll here about the Basalt vs. Aspen football legacy (concussions earned trying to sack my athletic cousin Terry), rappelling, bb gun wars, fires, eggs, pancake eating contests, milk drinking contests, missions, tubing and the occasional stake dance tale as well. Nieces and nephews will marvel at our escapades - legendary in our own minds - now ensconced in theirs.

We'll eat like kings, burn our balding heads, stay up all night playing card games and poking fun at each other. Our wives will snicker and our Mom's will grin when we stretch the tale a bit. When our bellies distend with too much meat and sauce and our breath carries the stench of too many pieces of pie, we'll retire, blessed with charmed lives, graced with youths that belong in the theaters.

When we part, as we did on the Trek, we will all be better for the experience. I reverently declare...

My Life is Brilliant.