Niven Reunion 2010

This year's Niven reunion was held in Syracuse, Utah, where Bryan's grandparents (dad's side), now live. It was a pioneer theme, with pioneer activities and games, pioneer food, old-fashioned pioneer bartering, and more. We experienced both extremes in temperature that day -- really, really hot, to TONS of rain. Bryan's Aunt Lisa did a great job planning and directing the reunion, but I felt bad the weather didn't fully cooperate!

This is a buffalo chip game where one person was a wheelbarrow and the other person had to "push" the wheelbarrow and pick up the buffalo chips.

Kate was the winner!

My boys were a little shy and didn't want to play the games. I wish I had pictures of the pioneer relay game we played, but I was participating. The boys were on one team and had to put on a pioneer girl outfit and run across, take it off, and then the next person would go, and the girls on the other team dressed up in a pioneer boy outfit. The girls won! :) If anyone has pictures of that game, I would love to have a copy. We also all made potato babies and wrapped them in a baby-sized blanket and put them in a cradle. On one of the games we had to save the babies and pass them over and under to get to safety because their wagon was on "fire". My boys finally participated in the potato baby game, I think because the entire time they kept asking if they could keep them and were excited to get them after the game. Austin was happy just riding on this horse.

Talking and trying to stay cool in the shade.

Bryan throwing grapes in the air and catching them in his mouth.

Austin eating some lunch with Bryan's cousin, Jared, (I think). He and his brothers all look alike. :) Bryan's family has the oldest grandkids. Grandpa and Grandma Niven have 7 kids. Bryan's dad, Jeff, is the oldest child in the family and the two youngest are closer in age to their nephews (Brent, Bryan, and Jason), than their brother Jeff. So Aunt Stacey has two kids the same age as Ethan and Austin.

Each family has a family flag where they have their family motto and then they add an ornament from each reunion. The person in charge of the reunion makes something that represents that year's reunion for each family to add to their flag. Lisa made cute pioneer handcart ornaments for this year. I'm not sure whose flag this is? Do you know Aunt Lisa?

Here's a close-up of part of the flag with a picture of Grandpa & Grandma Niven. Cute. :) I'm such a slacker, I still don't have a flag. I have all the ornaments from the years we've gone, but I still need to make a flag. My problem is I have no sewing skills. That will be one of my goals this year to make a flag!

The boys made a homemade water slide. You're probably thinking, "What does this have to do with pioneers?" This actually wasn't planned as part of the reunion. During the middle of the day we could choose to go to The Pioneer Museum, This Is The Place Heritage Park, or the LDS Church History Museum. Some of the family went to the LDS Church Museum, but the kids were so hot we decided to stay there and cool off with water.

Cooling off! Grandpa & Grandma Niven had this cool earth that sprayed water. Ethan, Austin, Kate, Amanda, Maggie, had fun with this for hours.

The kids drying off on the warm patio.

Jessica and Kate.

Getting the air out. Surprisingly, it didn't pop!

Jessica and Kate showing off their hula hoop skills!

Here's another relay game we played. We had to wash and ring out the pioneer clothes and hang them out to dry. It was funny, Uncle Greg and his son Michael were swinging the clothes line like a jump rope, making it quite difficult to hang up the clothes.

After our potato baby game, it started to lightly rain at first and we did our bartering underneath the canopies, but pretty soon it was poring rain and we had to run for it to get inside. We had dinner inside and visited some more. It was fun seeing everyone and catching up! Thanks Aunt Lisa for all your hard work!