Our family was assigned blue so of course we wore our BYU blue shirts :) And because my grandma's last name is Busby we put bee stickers on for "buzz-bee"....get it? Some people were more resistant than others and didn't want to wear a Busby sticker, so they got what was coming to them for their bad attitude...
We played fun games in the morning like volleyball and softball. Then we headed to the nearby church for lunch and then each of the siblings introduced their family and said one thing they remembered about my Grandma and Grandpa. This was one of my favorite parts because I enjoyed learning more about two of my favorite people in the whole world. Because our family is so big, it took a couple hours and a few others weren't thrilled at the time it meant they had to hold still and listen...
After getting to know everyone better we played Bingo or Tornado/bump/knock em out/lightning. Next was dinner and then swimming that night. All in all, it was a fantastic day getting to see lots of family that I don't get to see very often with a lot of fun games to help us enjoy our time together.
The reason this family reunion meant so much to me was because of the honor we gave to my Grandma, Christa Lenore Busby .
Growing up she lived with us until I was sixteen and my family moved to Washington. Since then we still spend every Christmas holiday and lots of other time together traveling to Washington. We also love heading to her house for BYU sports games. She is my second Mom and source of strength, wisdom, kindness, and joy in my life. She has gone through so much and is so strong.
Growing up I remember her always being there for me. I would go over to her side of the house and sip lemonade, watch the news, do crossword puzzles, and eat apple slices. I loved looking at her bell collection and chime collection. My grandma's house was full of sweets and treats and I remember she always did the dishes by hand because that's how she grew up doing them. The number one thing I remember is always feeling welcome. I knew I was welcome to come over and welcome to stay and talk and love and be loved. And I have always treasured that. My grandma never did big grand things to show her love, but she was just there, and kind, and interested in us. She is my second mom and one of the greatest influences in my life.
My grandpa, George Busby, died when my mom was only 13 years old, so I never have been able to meet him. But I have heard stories about what kind of a man he was.
Most recently at the family reunion I learned a lot more about that man. I learned that my love of horses comes from him. I learned that he most wanted his family to know that he is a man of God and that he was sent an angel for a wife. I learned that many people loved him and respected him as a Bishop, Stake President, and leader in the church.
I already knew that my grandpa was a softball legend, but I didn't realize that it was true so late in his life (into his 50's) and what it truly meant for him to be such a fast-pitch legend. It renewed my interest in fast-pitch softball and in learning about how great of a pitcher that my Grandpa was.
If you notice, this is President Benson pictured with my grandpa. My grandpa traveled to Utah from California multiple times in church softball tournaments and he was such an amazing pitcher (top ten in US) that was often recognized for his success.
Even though I don't know my Grandpa Busby personally, I have felt his presence a lot in my life. I have felt him watching over and protecting me. I don't know if it's because of my close relationship to my Grandma, but I know that he's there helping and cheering me on. I can't wait to meet him some day and I loved learning more about him.
I also never was able to meet two of my aunts, Penny and Kari, because they died in a car accident as teenagers when my mom was only five.
I was actually named after Kari, only with the Swedish pronunciation. We talked a little bit about my aunts as well and it was nice to feel their presence with us that day too. I've always been excited to meet them in the here-after and get to develop a relationship with them.
Soon when I get the picture of everyone that was there, I will post it here so you can see our big great family. It was just a nice day to feel the eternal bonds of love that we have as a family for each other. Hopefully we can make these reunions more of a regular thing because, really, family and the Gospel is what life is really about.
Sorry I've been on a blogging hiatus, and thus a commenting hiatus too. But...I'm back and I loved this post! I'm jealous of your family reunions! My family has never had one, so I've never experienced getting to know members of my family I don't see often. I loved your memories of your grandma too. She seems like an amazing woman! Lucky you :)
ReplyDeleteGlad you were able to have time with your family and learn so much about them. My family has stopped having reunions and I miss them. I loved hearing about my grandparents. Your grandparents seem like amazing people!
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ReplyDeleteThat was a great post. I loved the reunion just as much. Just so you know that picture is of President Benson, not President Kimball.
ReplyDeleteI remember your grandpa, George Busby. I was a child when he was a fast pitch softball pitcher. My brother was also, and they competed in LDS softball tournaments.
ReplyDeleteOn a whim, I thought about him and googled his name along with the word "softball," and I found your blog. I grew up admiring his accomplishment as a pitcher and knowing the story that he had polio, which left his left arm stunted, as I recall.