Last September, Mom and Dad celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Since our family is so spread out-from China to North Carolina to Arkansas to Utah-and we couldn't get together at that time, we planned a reunion and anniversary celebration for this summer. For almost a year David, Keith, Coree and I, along with our spouses, have been organizing this event. We met in Arkansas and had a few wonderful days together as a family. Of course, not everyone could be there because of new babies, missions, and work schedules. We missed them, but understand that life takes its own turns and we have to accept and deal with it.
Dick and Gayle Bramwell
September 12, 1958
Fifty years later and looking great!
It can't be a real Bramwell reunion without a lake trip--so we had several different trips to Beaver Lake!
Vi and Roux on the boat.
Ranell and Mom
We talked Mom into going on the tube behind the boat. She and I were on one tube and Coree and Susan (David's wife) are on the other. Coree shows her true colors by trying to knock Mom off of the tube. It worked--eventually! I couldn't believe we actually got Mom to agree to this. I guess that riding on a tube was more do-able than skiing like she used to do!
Plenty of wakeboarding, wake-skating (or something like that), tubing, and of course--WIPEOUTS!!!!
Dad always has to have something to do--and keeping the yard beautiful was one of the things he did to stay busy. We tried to get Roux to ride the lawnmower with his "Opa" but Roux didn't really like the idea.
Keith took a group to see his "naked chickens" and to pick up food for the next stop--a reptile place!
Snakes, lizards, alligators, frogs, spiders, and other creepy-crawlies are no match for this girl!
Shoulder jewelry
No reunion is complete without family pictures. These are just off of the digital cameras floating around. In this picture--Mom, Bonnie(dog), Dad, Coree, David, Keith, and Ranell.
Mom and Dad, the grandkids, and one of the three great-grandchildren.
Vi and Roux were the only ones from my family that could make the trip.
Roux playing with the party decorations.
The last official night of the reunion we had dinner at a park, cake, activities, and a program honoring Mom and Dad. Keith made this wonderful family tree with everyone's picture and information then printed it up poster size and framed it. Over six hundred pictures were downloaded to my computer over the three days. Heidi (my daughter) pre-made scrapbook pages that I brought with me for us to add pictures to. Each day, with the help of my sister and sisters-in-law, we chose pictures, ordered prints of them, then put them in the scrapbook. By the night of the program we had a nearly complete scrapbook of the reunion. (Finishing touches were made before I flew home a few days later.)
What a wonderful heritage my parents have given their children. Each of us love and appreciate their example, their teachings, their support and their love for us and for each other. THANKS MOM AND DAD!
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