It’s fun to quote the Village People and they are not wrong! We went glamping with our family for Fist City 2023. Hubby did an amazing job taking over the planning and organization when I decided I couldn't handle the tech free way the YMCA was doing things. If they could just get some good software/website on their end, I could recommend planning family reunions there to everyone! Of course the best part was being with family in a beautiful place doing lots of fun things but it was also awesome to not have to cook and have nice long windows to get food around the activities we had scheduled.
I am so grateful Hubby's family was willing to drive out and meet us closer to where we live. Our first activity together as people got settled into the lodge was to have a campfire with s'mores. Then it was time for three full days of adventure! First up, rock wall climbing, which made me want to sign Michelle and Natalie up for the local climbing gym. I was impressed by so many children that morning! I was also impressed by watching zip lining and was glad I had some time before it was my turn a couple days later... which is totally illogical because the one I did was bigger. Oh, and before the first zip line some of us went to play mini golf. Michelle's golf ball was out to get her by literally bouncing back out of the hole like half the time. The ridiculousness led to some good laughs.
Our first afternoon we spent at Lake Grandby. I was a baby about the cold and decided to watch other people paddle boarding. It sure was beautiful!
That night our family had the pool all to ourselves (by requirement due to having 40 of us) & I was reminded of how fun this group of people can be. Sometimes I want to go live where they live so bad! They would chant for the dads to go down the slide (since it was one at a time) and eventually they even got the head lifeguard to participate by evacuating the pool. I would have loved to stay longer and spend time in the sauna but Natalie's stomach was bothering her so I took her back to our room. We think it was something she ate because Natalie felt fine by the time she woke up the next morning. (P.S. She had her annual physical at the doctor's office after we got home and she and the pediatrician decided Natalie would have no dairy for two weeks to see it that is what is causing these stomach issues for her.)
Our girls all got to go horseback riding before hiking while Danny got to fall in love with mountain biking again thanks to his uncles and cousins. Then it was time for our biggest excursion of the trip: white water rafting. Now Michelle would argue that it really wasn't white water because the Colorado River is pretty tame around here but having a whole bus full of family + being able to go cliff diving made it totally worth the trip. My guys really liked the cliff diving too but Kate wasn't a fan. And me? Too scared since my knees were already bothering me... and yes, it was still really cold!
And yes, I'm a sucker for overpriced action shots.
That night we had an epic kickball game against another family staying at the YMCA. Turns out both families got their reservation times wrong but it ended up being great! That may have been my favorite activity to see the entire family rooting for each other and having simple fun. The next morning I was proud of the kids for hanging in there so long while we took family photos as a present to the grandparents. And it made Danny finally want to get a haircut before school photos.
Next up: the bigger zip line, archery and then Kate got to do crafts while the rest of us went summer tubing. It's a pretty neat set up and a lot of fun!
And before we knew it, this was our last evening together. We spent the night at the High Country Stampede and the matriarch and patriarch of our clan got lots of special attention from the rodeo clown. Many of the grandkids even got to chase sheep during part of this neat little show. The next morning it was time to pack up, check out, and head home. The time felt way too short to me but I am so very grateful for the time we got to have together!
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