I just got back from a Ya Ya weekend with my sisters.
We"ve been trying to do this at least once a year since our mom passed away to strengthen the family ties.
It's been a real blessing in all of our lives -
(...I think, at least it has in mine!)
When we were growing up, there might have been disagreements and rivalries, but those are all but gone now -
I think we've learned to value and appreciate each other, not so much in spite of our differences, but because of them.
We started off by dinner out at a local rib joint, then we drove up to Heber to ride the Heber Creeper's Haunted Train.
We were planning to go home and watch scary movies after that, but we had a much better time just talking - so much better, that we were up until 3:30AM doing it!
We talked about everything from the origin of silly phrases, to the traditions of ancient tribes - the discussion there led to how many of the tribes had a person who was the "story teller."
He was in charge of keeping the history of the tribe, and passing it down by word of mouth from generation to generation. Often they carved symbols on a stick, since there was no written language - those symbols helped him remember the story.
I was thinking later, that my oldest sister is the "story teller" in our little clan. Most of us girls came in at the tail end of the family, but being the second oldest, she was there at the first. She knows so much more of our history than we do.
I love hearing her tell it - she is the strongest link in our family chain.
After a breakfast of Janell's yummy breads the next morning, we drove around town re-visiting all the old sites where we grew up. Our home town has changed so much, we hardly recognized most of the places.
Just a couple of them...
One of the old trees that are still left on our lot - I climbed every tree on the place at least once.
The first church house I went to. I was really young when we moved from this neighborhood - I barely remember going here.
After that drive, we went to lunch at Kneaders, and then we visited the gardens at Thanksgiving Point. It was a beautiful day for that, the weather couldn't have been more perfect.
It's amazing - just a few days ago there wasn't any fall color in the valley, but this weekend, it had already peaked.
Could not have been more perfect.
Some grannies stroll, but we grannies roll
I was fascinated with the fishes in the coi pond...
Like I said, perfect...
I got back just in time for my little gran girlie's birthday -
she's 5.
Back to work for a couple of days, then I'm off again...
.
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