This year they had the reunion in Provo because my Grandpa John (my mom's dad) can't get around as well as he used to.
The first night we had dinner at Dad and Susie's house. I was in charge and had Costa Vida cater the meal. (Because why slave away cooking for that many people - I wanted to visit, not be stuck in the kitchen or at a restaurant where I'd be worried about what my kids were doing.) Anyway, the meal was a success and we had a great time sitting around and catching up. Too good of a time - I forgot to take pictures.
The next morning we all enjoyed creme brule french toast brunch at Dad and Susie's. It was DELICIOUS.
It was also a good time to get bunny ears from six year old cousins.
As well as create marvelous marble magic runs with Uncle Doug. (I never got a picture of the finished piece. It was pretty fantastic.)
We spent the rest of the day at Seven Peaks water park. It was so fun! My aunt Leslie and Uncle Neil have a daughter who is 6 (almost 7), so she and Cole were good buddies during the reunion. It was so cute! We went on almost all of the slides (I'm not a fan of the straight down, wedgie-inducing ones).
Josh even guilted me to going on this big, scary boomerang one that I had gone on with Lance last year and swore I would never do again. But I did. And it was fun. (And scary. Mainly just that first drop. Man, I'm getting to old for this...)
We had bought these special group passes that rented a cabana for the whole group. It came with tube rental, lunch, and dessert. Seven Peaks is not that well-managed (pretty sure the whole place was run by 16 year olds). First, they didn't have a cabana for us when we first got there. Aunt Lisa (who planned the whole thing) was NOT happy. Then, it took OVER AN HOUR just to get lunch. First I waited in the pizza line for a good 20 minutes and didn't move an inch. So I gave up and moved over to burgers and hot dogs. I waited in line forever there with my aunt Lisa, and while it was great chatting with her, I think we would both agree that line was ridiculous. So you order your food and drinks (which they fill one at a time) (And by that I mean the guy would get ONE cup, walk to the other side of the cafe area, fill it up, walk back, and then get another cup. He did this FIVE TIMES.), and then you would get your buns and have to go wait in ANOTHER line to get your meat, which they would cook individually. THIS MAKES NO SENSE IN ANY WORLD. It was so, so stupid. Fortunately, my kids were behaving themselves and saint Susie was there to help me carry everything.
Also, my kids got Dippin' Dots for the first time ever, and were pretty impressed.
After a long, hot day at Seven Peaks we all met back up at Dad and Susie's for snacks and fireworks. (It was the 24th of July - Happy Pioneer Day!)
Aunt Leslie brought some impressively large sparklers.
Tess really like Elsie. (Older girl worship? Yes.)
The show consisted mainly of fountains and things of that nature, mainly because my dad had no desire to burn down the hill behind his house. (The hill has been on fire before and it was scary.)
My kids were pretty excited to get to stay up late and see fireworks again. They were only slightly disappointed that the fireworks weren't quite the same as our "Back Yard of Fire". (The next day Cole insisted we hadn't really seen fireworks...)
We spent Saturday up at Big Springs park up Provo Canyon. The weather was perfect, we had lots of shade trees, and we enjoyed eating lunch and visiting. The kids had fun playing in the creek and acting goofy.
This was all not nearly exciting enough for Mr. Cole. He wanted to go back to Seven Peaks!
The family got to see some True Coley Misbehavior, but he wasn't too bad. (Bored Cole = loud and obnoxious Cole.) It's a good thing he's so cute. Even with a faint blue mustache!
After lunch we had a little program where each of the grandchildren read poems about the family or sang songs. It was really cute! Here's Zach reading his masterpiece. (It was funny.)
Kevin making faces at my kids, uncle Dale (the oldest), Uncle Neil, and cousin Natalie.
Grandpa John, Uncle Dave, and Aunt Lisa.
Cousin Ben reading his awesome poem. (He's such a fun guy!)
Okay, so my contribution was a little different. Since I am the oldest grandchild and have known the original Burgoyne clan for longer than even the spouses, I decided to write down a bunch of my memories from when I was a kid and teenager. Just so I can remember them (and not have to keep a record anywhere else) I'm adding these memories here. (There's a lot. I didn't mention them all at the reunion.) Feel free to skip these. Although there will be a quiz...
Burgoyne Memories
By Maren Roper Madsen
Grandpa John• Getting my teeth cleaned in his dental office and thinking it was really, really cool that my Grandpa was a dentist and that he had his own office, his own receptionist, and – most importantly – his own dental chair.
• Jumping on the trampoline in the back yard and having Grover, the dog, jump up from underneath and nip at our toes if we screamed – which would make us scream even more. We kinda got in trouble a lot for that!
• Grandpa had a koi pond in the back yard – or rather, it was probably Grandma who wanted the pond. As little kids that was the coolest thing in the world and we’d like to throw stuff in it. I’m pretty sure Kyle or Kevin dropped toys in the pond. I’m also pretty sure one or both of them fell in at one point.
• Being at Grandpa & Grandma Burgoyne’s house for Christmas was magical. Grandma Regina always had an enormous, gorgeous flocked tree covered in crystal ornaments, which we were threatened NEVER TO TOUCH under pain of death. (I remember Mom telling us this again and again. As a mother now I find it hard to believe the tree went unscathed.) One Christmas I was the first to wake up and I ran upstairs. It looked like an entire store had been put under the tree, there were so many presents! (There were lots of people there that year.) I think the last Christmas we spent there we got a VCR, which was a really big deal – they were still really new and relatively expensive then! One Christmas I slept in Heidi’s old room and I remember lying in bed, looking at the big, old fashioned colored Christmas lights while it snowed. It’s one of my favorite Christmas memories because it just seemed so magical at the time.
• Grandpa owned a small RV that Kevin called “Grandpa’s house that moves”. To a small child, it was AWESOME. I cannot stress enough how cool we thought this was. And the fact that we three grandkids got to sleep in the bed that was over the driver’s cab? Forget about it – it made us so excited! I don’t even really remember specifically where we went on our trips – Kanab maybe? – but I remember how exciting it was to drive in the motor home and sleep in that bed. One time we were in Zion National Park and went on that one drive that’s a tunnel through the mountains but windows are cut into the rock. Someone forgot to retract the little step that pulled out under the door, and that metal step scraped along the rock that whole drive, sparks flying everywhere. The step was ruined and Grandpa was mad. That’s the ONLY thing Kyle and I remember from that trip!
• When we stayed in Tooele Grandpa would make breakfast. He’d make things like cracked wheat, oatmeal, and rice cereal. (I did NOT like the rice cereal!) I’d be sound asleep and wake suddenly to Grandpa’s booming voice proclaiming “Breakfast in 5 minutes!”
• The day before my wedding was spent in Tooele. The pearl necklace and earrings that Grandpa gave me were so pretty and I felt so special receiving them!
• Grandpa has always set a good example to me through his service in the church. He has shown the strength of his faith and testimony in his various church callings, in his service missions halfway across the world, and in his years of being a temple worker. I believe that the foundation of his faith helped secure this family as it faced so many premature deaths. Instead of crumbling under grief, the Burgoyne family stayed firm and steadfast. His influence as a son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather cannot be measured, but will continue to be felt for generations.
Burgoyne Aunts & Uncles
• When I think of Dale I will always think of the time my family got to spend with him and Janice in Pasadena. Our family drove down for several Thanksgivings and New Years. We always did the funnest things, like going to the Rose Parade, driving out to Joshua Tree NP, or seeing movies like “Aladdin”. (Yes, that’s how long ago it was.) To an eleven year old girl it seemed very glamorous to live in the Los Angeles area! One of my most distinct memories in Dale’s house was New Year’s Eve in 1999. I was a 22 year old college student on the biggest New Year’s Eve in history, dateless, and stuck playing Star Wars Trivial Pursuit with my little brother. (Sorry, Kevin.) At that moment I decided it was time to stop dinking around and to accomplish some of the bigger goals in my life so at the very least I wouldn’t be doing the same thing on the next New Year’s Eve. (Again, sorry Kevin.) Within eight months I started dating more seriously, got engaged, went through the temple, graduated from BYU, got my first “real” job of my career, got married, and moved out of Utah county. Mission accomplished!
• Neil was the Burgoyne family member who visited the most while we lived in NC because he lived in Tennessee. It was always so exciting to have him come visit because we rarely had visitors! I remember being so impressed with his fast car. He let me sit in the front seat and would go really fast. Plus, he would always buy Kyle and I candy bars at the gas station, which my grad-school-budget parents never did. Cars and candy bars convinced Kyle and I that Neil must be rich beyond our (very young) dreams!
• My strongest childhood memory of Heidi is of her wedding. She seemed so mature and elegant in her beautiful wedding gown, and Doug was so impressive in his uniform! It was dreamy for 11 year old me to get to wear a dress that matched the wedding party. (Coral satin with creamy lace on top, and a little crown of flowers on my head! Swoon!) Right before the wedding I remember sitting in the Milcreek house kitchen eating a meal. Heidi had taken off her engagement ring to show everyone, and I felt so mature being able to hold it! I went to hand it back to her and accidentally dropped it in a pitcher of milk. Oops.
• Gary was the goof ball uncle; he was always willing to play and be silly and make bathroom jokes. (This played very well with the preschool set.) One time when I was pretty young Gary and I were racing around the Milcreek house. He was growling and chasing me like a monster and I was squealing and loving it. I remember Grandma Regina and my mom both telling us to slow down and to be careful. Of course we didn’t listen and kept at it until I CRASHED into the ornate glass top table in the living room. Glass shattered everywhere under me. All of the adults were worried about me, but I was miraculously just fine – not a single cut or bruise. Gary, however, was not so fortunate. I remember feeling a distinct mixture of relief and guilt when it was Gary who got yelled at instead of me. One year our family and the Burgoynes all went on a big trip to New York. Gary was in fine uncle form, making jokes about seeing up the Statue of Liberty’s dress and changing the speedometer from miles per hour to kilometers so that it looked like he was driving REALLY fast. Kyle and I were really impressed.
• Growing up, Lisa was my idol. She wrote me letters and was always so nice to me. Even though she was only 10 (11?) years older than me, she seemed the height of sophistication and maturity, especially when she was in high school. Her prom dresses were so glamorous, her letterman’s jacket the height of cool, and when she won Miss Tooele County and even got a tiara? Forget about it. I remember her letting me go into her room to look at all of her trophies, medals, and ribbons from running and just being amazed, confirmed in my belief that she must be the coolest aunt IN THE WORLD. When I was really little I remember playing Frogger and Asteroids on the Atari with her and Gary. I kept winning and thought I was pretty hot stuff, although now I realize they must have let me win. When I was a bit older, Kyle and I flew out to UT by ourselves and Lisa basically took care of us for a couple of weeks since Grandma Regina was sick. Over the course of the trip Kyle threw up at the movie theater, Hogle Zoo, and *I think* McDonald’s. Poor Lisa.
Then we played a bunch of games, including BINGO! I had borrowed my Grandma Roper's bingo set and it was all very official. I even brought fabulous prizes, donated from the moving out/cleaning house ladies of Lafayette 3rd ward. The gifts were all wrapped, so you didn't really know what you were getting. (This made it all the more fun.)
We also played games like guessing how many pieces of candy were in a jar, 2 truths and a lie, things like that.
I have no idea whey Tess is rolling around unhappily on the ground. This is not an uncommon occurrence, so I'm not sure why I decided to take a picture of it.
Then it was time for family pictures. Here's Grandpa John and his remaining children. (L-R, Lisa, Dale, Neil, and Heidi. My mom, Wendy, and Uncle Gary passed away.)
The Burgoynes and their spouses. (L-R, front to back: Lisa, Grandpa John, Heidi, Dave, Susie, ElRay, Neil, Leslie, Dale, Susan, and Doug.)
Cole kept trying to photobomb the above pictures. In order to get him to stop I told him that he could photobomb his own picture. Which he readily agreed to.
The whole crew! (L-R, front to back: Cole, Spencer, Josh, Dale, Heidi, Grandpa John, Lisa, Neil, Susan, Ben, David, Doug, Peter, Jillian, Maren, Tess, Kevin, Susie, ElRay, Allie, Steven, Dave, Zach, Natalie, Leslie, and Elsie.)
A goofy one was in order.
Then we took ones with Grandpa and all of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. But instead of nicely posed ones we had to jump. I have no idea why. Especially because we were so terrible at the timing! (It was really funny. Much laughter ensued.)
I love how Tess is just standing there.
Elsie was really upset afterward because she didn't get to jump like she wanted to. So we took a few more shots of her and Cole jumping.
We broke camp later that afternoon and met up that evening at the house Heidi and Doug had rented. We chatted and snacked and watched some TV (including an awesome video Ben had put together for school).
It was a great reunion, and I'm so glad I had the chance to catch up with everyone!
*****
For the sake of posterity (and my memory) I'm going to record who everyone is and how they're relate to each other.
John and Regina Burgoyne
-Had 6 children: Dale, Wendy, Neil, Heidi, Gary, and Lisa
-Grandma Regina died when I was 10 or 11, and Grandpa then married Nancy
Dale Burgoyne
-Married Janice, adopted (and sealed to) Chris and Ben
-Janice died in 2003 and Dale married Susan about 3 years ago
Wendy Burgoyne Roper
-Married ElRay and had three wonderful, perfect children: Maren, Kyle, and Kevin
-Maren married Lance and had four children: Spencer, Josh, Cole, and Tess
-Wendy died in 2004; ElRay married Susie in 2005
Neil Burgoyne
-Married to Leslie, one biological child: Elsie
Heidi Burgoyne Weitzel
-Married Doug Weitzel and had three children: David, Peter, and Jillian
Gary Burgoyne
-Married Leslie and had three children: Sarah, Zach, and Natalie
-Gary died in 2003, and Leslie later married his brother Neil
Lisa Burgoyne Chipman
-Married Dave Chipman and had three children: Megan, Steven, and Allison
