Family Vacation/Reunion

July seems to be the shortest month of the year simply because it is jam packed with holiday, vacation and reunion time.

It's always fun to get away. We haven't been to Mammoth for 6 years, which is very sad. It just goes to show you how work can overpower your life. The cabin, which defies natures blows (earthquakes, bears and time) is still standing, luckily. It gets more tilted as time goes by, if you drop a bottle of water it rolls to one side of the cabin or the other. Hahaha!!! It's amusing. Squirrels in the ceiling greeted us with chatter and scratching but moved out eventually. The weather wasn't hot nor cold but in the evening a fire made it just right. (Until the cabin filled with smoke, but it cleared out.)

The main goal for the boys is to fish. The best fishing happens way up in the mountians where the lakes aren't stocked for fair weather fisherman, it requires hiking. We went on a  2 mile hike up to Sherwin Lakes where the lake is fed by a cold running creek filled with brook trout. The boys caught a bunch of the beauties. Riley LOVES to fish, Shawn LIKES to fish but prefers to change it up with hiking and exploring... my kinda guy. ;) Riley even ate them!

The next day we hiked up to Arrowhead Lake, 1 1/2 miles where only Riley caught fish. Shawn was irritated by flies and lucky for me we didn't have to stay to late in the day because the boys wanted to get back to watch an Angel game on TV.  You may think we don't rough it up here, but we do... no internet. :)

I manned the camera, so I took a picture of myself to prove I was there.

The weather was great and we really enjoyed our time there. We always go away saying, we need to go back more often. Hopefully life will allow it.

We went from mountains to beach, enjoying the beautiful diversity that is California. The Thorkelson Reunion was at Newport Dunes Resort. We had a wonderful time meeting everyone, new babies and others. Almost everyone was able to attend aside from a nephew in jail (sad), one in Samoa (waiting for his mission call), the newly weds Jason and Stacia and Braden on his mission. Great numbers.

I don't even know where to begin because there is so much to record here. BUT... I've got to hit on most of it so I don't forget. Friday almost all of us went to the beach at Corona Del Mar.

Shawn and Riley

Creative cousins, Brock, Riley and Kade.

Shawn had to get in on the fun.

After the sun had burned us all we went back to the resort and got ready to go to an actual Angel game. Grandpa rented a huge bus to take us all. MOST of us are huge fans... my boys are.

You can see Maryann, Tati, Jared, Riley and Shawn.

Look at these old guys... G.Bjorn and Jared.

It was a beautiful night. We didn't even get cold.

The next day was packed with activities. Family games, water balloon toss, ultimate frisbee weeded out the non-competitive of us, then we had lunch and took a boat ride of the bay and Balboa Island.

Riley, Brock and Kade.

Rees, G.Bjorn, Shawn, Gerard can be seen facing us. Well, not Shawn, but...

Sea Lions...not seals on the buoy, we were corrected.

When we got back the resort was having a regatta, we formed teams and made sea fairing boats out of cardboard and duct tape. G.Bjorn wanted me to hurry so I didn't grab the camera. No pictures. :(

Lucky for me I just figured out how to steal them off of facebook. Yeah!

Brock and Riley brought in the winning boat.

A lot of boats went down.

Funny thing, G.Bjorn and I were not on the same team, but our boats came in 1st and 2nd. We thought the really really smart people... "brains" of the family would kick our butts. Nope, apparently they are visually challenged and the artists prevailed. Who knew? Woo Hoo!!

Shawn and Kade manned the second place boat, though it didn't make it all the way back to shore.

We wrapped up the night having dinner together, listening to a motivational speaker, and roasting smores on the beach. Smores are delicious!

Sunday most of us went to church with grandpa. There happened to be two reunions in town and we heard the sacrament meeting count was 1200 people in attendance.  Not all where there to be in the family picture but this is what we got, minus the Jared Thorkelsons family, Britts family and those missing in the first place. The Newport Beach temple is in the back ground.

We had a wonderful time and love our family. We are lucky enough to live close to half of them and miss those we don't see often already. Thank you Grandpa and Sheila for a wonderful weekend.