Despite the miniature size of the crawdads our nieces and nephews pulled out of Big Lake, AZ, I still managed to scream when the one I was holding wriggled all over the place (most likely in the middle of its death throws). It. Was. Nasty.
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| This was RIGHT before I screamed because the legs looked like they were going to get me. |
Other activities included being rained on in the tent (no rain actually in the tent, but it sure sounded like it wanted to come in...), reading, because Danny and I LOVE the books we're reading, and of course, fishing around Big Lake--at least watching fishing take place. It was really neat to meet more members of my new family.
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| Don't I look like a little librarian? A very tan librarian lol. |
One of the neatest experiences I had the whole family reunion was hearing stories about the Donaldson ancestors. Obviously, I couldn't have known most of them, but a few of them were Danny's great aunts and uncles. It's incredible the memories their sons and daughters still have of them. I only hope that they'll preserve them in writing some how, if they haven't already.
Speaking of family stories, I'd like to share a story my sister-in-law shared with me when Danny and I first arrived. I hope Sarah doesn't mind: their son, my nephew, got feeling pretty sick early on at the reunion. He was running a fever, feeling pretty low. Sarah was thinking they might need to take him into town and have him checked out. Their son's reply was that he didn't need a doctor, he just needed his Grandpa Don and uncle to give him a blessing. His Dad was at the lake with the other kids, or else in town picking up medicine (Sarah, I don't remember which). Don and I think it was Billy gave him a priesthood blessing. In the blessing Don basically told my nephew Sam that if he had faith, that he would recover from his illness. It was only a matter of hours before Sam was up and about, wreaking havoc in the campsite with the other cousins. Even though I wasn't there, I know exactly what Sam was feeling before and after he was given a blessing.
There have been many times that I asked my Dad for a blessing because I was sick, and times I've asked Danny to exercise the priesthood (the authority to act in God's name) to give me a blessing of healing or of comfort. I know my Heavenly Father was listening and according to my faith, those blessings have been fulfilled. I'm so thankful for the priesthood in my home and in my family.
Danny and I also had the opportunity to go to Saguaro Lake with my family this weekend. These are just a few pictures.
The angle of the photo just makes Danny's arm look tiny. He really is a normal-looking person. :P Love you Danny!
The highlights of the lake trip:
-- Danny getting up on the wakeboard for a little bit, and then totally eating it. I wish I'd taken a video. lol He hadn't wakeboarded in 15 years! I think he did pretty awesome!
-- My brother Cameron doing crazy jumps over the wake, sometimes landing them, and other times....well, just kinda smacking around into the water.
-- My sister Brooklyn slalom-skiing. I must say, she's pretty dang good at it.
-- Tubing with Danny. Cameron was driving the boat. Never letting him do that again. We got thrown so hard, my stomach hurts again just thinking about it! :P
-- Watching Jenna and Evan tube behind the boat. They're so tiny in that giant thing!
-- My Mom jumping into the lake with Evan to go to our neighbor's boat and eat food (he was hungry.)
-- Being on my Dad's newly reupholstered boat. Red, white, and blue inside and out. It was definitely awesome.
I'm SO grateful to have a wonderful family to spend time with. We had a blast at the lake, and I look forward to spending more time there with them. Off to more work this week? I think yes.
Coundown of early mornings left this summer: FIVE. :D
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