L. C. Gabrielsen Sr. Family Reunion, 2015

Bless my Aunt Nedra!

She is my dad's sister, and many years ago, she decided it was important for the Lyman C. Gabrielsen, Sr., (my dad's dad) offspring, who have become more and more spread out across the country, to get together 

every two years so they could know each other.

Here is our family at the very first reunion at Nedra and Ray's in Oakley, Idaho in the 1980's.

Beautiful Nedra!

Now, out of my dad, his two brothers, sister and their spouses, 

I have just three aunts left:

Aunt Nedra,  Aunt Grace (Married to my dad's brother, Al)

and Aunt Gary (married to my dad's brother Ron).

Two years ago, when Uncle Al and Aunt Grace's family hosted the reunion, Uncle Ron and Aunt Gary's family volunteered to host in June of 2015.

We were invited to their son, David and his wife, Loriann's, lovely home in Draper, Utah.

That is David in the orange shirt with his mom.

Loriann was in a horrible boating accident just eight months ago. 

The blade to a motor boat cut her head, 

and she has had brain surgery and her femur was badly broken, but her recovery has been miraculous!

With each other, we shared similar thoughts and feelings 

about our life-changing experiences as we were recovering.

We each felt the Lord guiding us through each day, and we neither one felt any bitterness 

toward the one who had injured us.

We are both just so very grateful to still be here to watch our families grow.

This is my cousin, Ron and Gary's oldest son, Joe.

Joe's wife Laurie, is a delight! She is sitting by her son and holding her grandson.

Their backyard was beautiful and it was wonderful to get acquainted and reacquainted with new generations.

All of my siblings and their spouses were able to attend:

Patty and Hal, John and Cindy, Kay and Ken and Joan and Tom.

Roger and I were so tickled to have three of our five kids and several of their kids there:

Rick, Jodie, Sadie, Katie Abby and Blake; Stacy, Sydney, Londyn, Maddy, Luke and Max; Mindy, Jack, Charlie and Fiona. For various reasons, the others couldn't make it and we missed them!

Stacy, Maddy, Mindy holding Fi, Joan and me

Rick Blake and Luke

Cindy and Jodie

John with his cute grandsons 

Cousins Fi, Sadie and Syd

Cousins Katie and Londyn

Add in Charlie

Jack, Max and Luke

There were fun things for the kids to do.

Aunt Grace had a knee replaced not quite two weeks ago!

She just celebrated her 85th birthday, and she is amazing!

This is her oldest son, Dr. Skip. 

He will always have a special place in my heart for his care when Mindy, 

then 8 years old, had a serious health problem.

We always enjoy catching up with each other - 

he's a special guy!

 And I love his wife, Karleen.

When we lived in Ogden, we were in a book club together.

Nedra's oldest son, Scott, is on the left and he is the Speaker of the House for the State of Idaho.

Evan is Grace's son, and he and his wife, Teresa, have both done great work in life - 

Evan is an engineer and Teresa is a professor at BYU and has initiated new programs to aid autism.

 Each family was asked to give updates on their family members.

Nedra's warm and charismatic son, Eric, is from Oakley.

Nedra's darling daughter, Leslie (in the striped shirt), with her husband, Will, and some of their kids

Sharing a story with Cousin Joe

There are so many good things that came from this fun reunion. 

I loved catching up with my aunts and cousins and meeting some of their kids and grandkids.

And I loved for our kids and grandkids who could be there, to get acquainted with some of the loved and important-to-me people in my family history. 

I have always been so proud to be a Gabrielsen.

I hope this tradition will carry on for generations to come!