FRANKly we're ERMAzing!

one of my sister in laws came up with this clever slogan for the 2013 mcintyre reunion shirts.  the reunion was held at camp smokey below stanley at alturas.  we all helped out since it was loren's turn to put it on.  the weather was chilly but not unbearable by any means and ended up being great timing to get away from working and haying.  there are so many pictures...but i've tried to narrow it down!

 there were little cabins with wood stoves in them (thank goodness...it was 25 degrees at nite) for all of us to share.  we were with spencer and michele and babe.  the first nite was rough.  by the last nite, the older kids had become adjusted!  bentley and bridon were great helpers with wood hauling!

 we went down to alturus lake and fished several times and went on a nature hike with the kids.  we saw some cool cocoons around.  ben went and got a bunch of bait and stuff the nite before we left and many had success.  he didn't catch anything.  the kids caught a big, ugly sucker fish!  bentley was dared to eat the fish eggs and he did. not sure how i feel about that.  beth won the prize for most fish caught.

 emerson played until she was so tired she wouldn't go to bed!  she has such a great time with the little girl cousins henley, grace, and esp. ezra.  they played the days away!

 bentley and bridon had lots of fun with their cousins and some of the second cousins.  there was a teepee someone had built down by the parking lot, so they were found down there playing much of the time, or by the fire.  why do boys love that?  bentley also fished and got to go out on the boat one time with the caretaker of the camp.

 ellee was a pretty decent camper except for one nite when she got backed up.  she fussed during the nights and i felt like i had to get her up so that she wouldn't wake everyone else up in the cabin but during the day she was great!  she rode around in my pack or got passed around.  there were 5 babies there, 4 of them from our family.  she even took a bath in the sink. 

 a few highlights of the camp were the family auction (ben and i got put in charge of that).  it turned out successful i hope!  crafts, horseshoes, playing games in the lodge after all the little ones were in bed and eating cherries, and the last nite chris and jenny put on a family fear factor.  it was a lot of fun! there were anchovies to eat, qual eggs, raw onions, all sorts of crazy stuff.  bentley made it to the finalists in the kids round, and ben made it in the adults.  we were represented!  the picture of aunt kayleen is from the game.  she cracked me up, so i had to put it in here.  we took off saturday morning and would have called it perfect, but bentley, bridon, and emerson woke up in the nite throwing up and then had diarrhea all day on sunday every 15 minutes.  some of the cousins and aunts too.  it seems to end in that more often than not.  the washing machine did not know what it had coming after camping and that siege:).  great job everyone!  i believe 2 of 6 in our family made it for the big family picture...ben and bridon.  bentley was on the boat, emerson threw a fit putting on her shirt (it was way too big), ellee was hungry, and i was willing but not able.  ben said, 'i remember going to family reunions and all i did was get out of the car and play.  it was so easy!' :)  camping is a little hectic with little ones, but hopefully the memories are well worth it!!