Banks Family Reunion - Part II

Monday August 1
    Early Morning Fishing
    Breakfast/Lunch at e.leaven Food Company
    Elk Refuge
    Fish Hatchery
    Dinner at Pavilion
    Town Square Shoot Out
    Time on the Town

The boys heading for some serious fishing

Beautiful scenery for the fishermen!

While the boys (minus Karl and Oliver) were out fishing, we headed for a delicious Brunch

Afterwards, we met up with the fishermen at the Elk Refuge.

The kids loved playing on the indoor rocks there:

Next stop, the Fish Hatchery. However, not much was going on there...not much to see and it smelled awful! But, we did take advantage of the nearby pond and the beautiful landscape.

Cooking up some fish caught that morning

The famous Shoot Out:

Not going to lie...it was rather disappointing...I remember it being so much better!

We were thrilled that the weather started clearing up. We got our first glimpses of the beautiful Teton Mountains:

(better shots of the Tetons to come)

An intense game of family Nertz!

There was a fun Cowboy Bar that many of us went to a couple of the nights. It included dancing, drinks (lemonade for us), and pool. Such a fun evening get-away.

Yeah, we're cool...

Tuesday August 2

    Scenic Float Trip (for those not doing White Water Rafting)

    Lunch at Merry Piglets Mexican Cafe

    Free Time

    Dinner at the Pavilion

    Dessert

The Scenic Float Riders

Lunch with a beautiful view of the Tetons..and wildlife...

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While a group of them went on the Scenic Float, back at the cabins, the rest of us enjoyed time at the swimming pool, lounging around, and eating at Merry Piglets (which was a huge favorite! It is a Mexican restaurant that we ended up going to a couple times...so good)!

When the group returned, a handful of us enjoyed a nice hike up the Snow King Mountain:

More fun at the Pavilion and at the park:

One thing is for sure, Jackson Hole is a gorgeous place!

To be continued....

Banks Family Reunion - Part I

Every few years, Nancy's side of the family gathers together for a Banks Family Reunion. The typical and beloved destination is June Lake. Many fond memories have been born there and it will always hold a special place in the hearts of the family. Over the years, the usual lodging that the family loves to stay in (Boulder Lodge) has really gone down hill. With so many little kids in the family now days, Boulder Lodge at June Lake was just not the right destination. While many were sad, especially Grandpa Banks, we had to decide upon a new destination. The winning spot: Jackson Hole, Wyoming!

I can remember going to Jackson Hole with my family when I was younger, and I remember absolutely loving it! I was thrilled. The only downside, I probably will never get to experience the special place that is June Lake. Only through stories.

The Banks Reunion, as with any Gruber trip, was very well organized. We were prepared with an itinerary before hand...which really comes in handy when looking back and blogging about that trip. We now begin the story of the Jackson Hole Banks Reunion!

Friday July 29
    Grandpa Banks, Alan, Steve, Annette, and Spencer arrive in Alpine

We started out the reunion with a bang, by lighting up some huge fireworks. This was especially exciting since this summer was the first summer Utah has legalized aerial fireworks. Jason and the family really took advantage!

Saturday July 30
    Drive to Jackson Hole
    Pick up Spencers from the Airport
    Check into Cowboy Village Resort
    Grocery Shopping
    Teton County Fair

The drive to Jackson Hole was beautiful and eventful. Even though the drive was over six hours, we accidentally left Uncle Alan at Arctic Circle, made a wrong turn, and almost ran out of gas, we could not get over the gorgeous nature that was surrounding us.

Hitting the road

The Cowboy Village Resort was a perfect place for us to stay. It was so cute. The resort was filled with mini-cabins. Each family had their own cabin to stay in, which included their own kitchen. We were given a "breakfast allowance" that we shopped for upon arriving. It made the week so easy and so perfect.

 First arriving and gathering at The Cowboy Village Resort

Sadly, it was raining...and the forecast told us nothing but rain for the whole week!

 Love this picture!

Now, I do have to take a minute to describe my experience at the Teton County Fair. Have you ever heard of Carnies??? Yeah, they are probably the most foul creatures on the earth! I had never been to a carnival run by Carnies...so scary! Just imagine the dirtiest nastiest people you can, add tobacco and missing teeth, and you're meeting a Carnie! It was down right scary. I didn't know if I could trust the safety of the rides if they were built and run by these people! I'm surprised we were brave enough to eat their food! We must have been literally starving! (It was disgusting food, by the way). I know these are terrible things to say about any living person, (or dead for the matter), but this is the sheer terror I experienced upon first witnessing the Carnies.

Spencer and I braving the "Ring of Fire"...I really thought I was going to die!

One of the Carnies...doesn't do the horror justice

Oliver and Karl

Yes, the Carnies keep their babies behind their booths in play pens!

Sunday July 31
    Church
    Lunch Picnic
    Family Time
    Nancy's Birthday Dinner Celebration

Happy Birthday Nancy!

We were so lucky to be able to rent out the Resort Pavilion for the first several days. It was perfect to have as a family gathering/hanging place, especially escaping the rain. 

 

The boys getting their fishing poles ready for Monday's fishing trip

Here's a glimpse at the chaos and utter joy!

Only in Jackson Hole for two days so far, and already loving it!

July...on the fly

Summertime is prime time for Gruber get-togethers. Nothing is better than a Gruber BBQ in the back yard on a warm summer afternoon. Whether family is in town or it is just a Sunday afternoon, there is always a good excuse to fire up the grill.

Oh, how I miss summer!

Capri, Alex, and Mya

Grandma Gruber, me, and baby Elsa

Does July 15, 2011 mean anything to anyone? Is that when the world was to end? For Jason and I, we were afraid it just may have been the end of our lives. What's the big deal? The final movie of the Harry Potter masterpiece officially opened. While Jason and I were beyond excited, we were also feeling a bit of sadness, as we knew this was the final piece of our Harry Potter experience. We didn't want it to end.

Sadly, I've grown too old and lame to stay up for midnight showings. Don't get me wrong, we are definitely devoted fans, but we wanted to be able to actually watch the movie and not have it affect work the next day. So rather than going to the midnight show with all of the other Potter fanatics, we went Friday evening. To show how serious we were, we still dressed up for the occasion. We went as our typical couple: Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley. Didn't have to think twice about it.

However, perhaps we should have thought twice. Apparently, it is only acceptable to dress up with the other midnight freaks. We were basically the only ones in the entire IMAX 3D theater dressed up that evening for the show! We couldn't believe it! It was still the first day of the movie release, so we thought we would be accompanied by many more. While walking through the theater, Jason turned to me and said, "I've never felt quite like this before..." He said it so sincerely and so softly. I couldn't help but bust up laughing.

Of course, the movie was amazing! We would dress up again any day to go back to that moment!

Now, I realize I should just end the post here...because I can't possibly write about anything of equal importance... but July did go on, and so shall this post!

Jason joined another indoor soccer team. It's always fun being able to watch Jason in his element, doing those things that he loves to do. Don't get me wrong, I'm stressed the whole time in the stands, but, of course, I wouldn't want to miss it! I tried and failed miserably at taking pictures of Jason while playing. In my behalf, I was a ways away and trying to shoot photos through a net. And if I was smart, I would have put the camera on an "action" setting.

Well, this is as good as it's going to get:

...and these were the good shots! You should have seen the bad ones!

Maybe next time I'll have a little more success...

We had some fun times with the Arbons as well in July. They spent a few days at the Cliff Lodge up at Snowbird. Beautiful lodging! We actually had three separate units that could open up and join into one large unit. Jason and I were able to stay one evening and enjoyed lots of pool time, hot tub time, Ligretto, chocolate chip cookies, and movies. Another huge form of entertainment was another of Bryan's brilliant productions. Just outside of the room door, Bryan set up a hidden camera, a quarter in the middle of the hall, and a fart machine. Anytime a guest walked by and went to pick up the quarter, he would cue the fart machine and we would enjoy the show from the TV in the room. On top of that, he had a speaker by the set up, so if he needed to communicate with the victims, he could shout something to them.

Oh, Bryan! May your imagination never diminish. 

Another Arbon gathering was for Pioneer Day. My parents hosted a family BBQ...or should I say Smoker?? My dad brought out the smoker again, and we enjoyed some heavenly meats!

Food...isn't that what life's about?!?