Bunker Hill

As many of you probably know, Mark's mom's family has been having annual reunions at a place called Bunker Hill Retreat (near Mountain View, MO) for decades. We all thought last year was the final reunion there (as it's become harder for Mark's grandmother, who has paid for everyone to go, to be away from her home and routine). But in the late spring, Mark's parents decided to organize a trip for just them and their kids to get together. We were lucky to find a time we could all get there, in early June, and had a great time catching up and enjoying this unique place again.

The group was Mom and Dad, Katie, Heidi and the kids, Damon and his girlfriend, Grandpa (Dad's dad, for his first visit to Bunker Hill), and Mark and I. While we certainly missed seeing cousins, aunts, and uncles, it was a really nice trip. We also stopped in Springfield on the way to see Gran and Aunt Sue. Check out these cool features from Aunt Sue's garden:

Also in Springfield, we had breakfast at a cute restaurant called the Aviary:

Once we got to Bunker Hill, as usual, we spent a lot of our time playing games (this year, larger-group games were most popular: Taboo, Mafia, and the Ungame, for example). The guys went golfing twice, and the ladies spent some time exploring the cute shops in downtown Mountain View (about the size of downtown BG, but even quieter, if you can imagine). A few of us also stopped in the public library once or twice to take advantage of the wifi. Zach and I spent some time on the river in a canoe, though we weren't able to venture as far up river as we have in years past--the water was the highest I've ever seen it, and we weren't able to paddle against it (and I was afraid the current was too strong to safely hop out and pull the canoe along). Another interesting thing this year was the cooler weather--no one ever needed to turn on the AC in the cabins, and I spent most of the time wearing extra layers. I don't have very many pics, but if I get more from Mom and Mad, I may update this post then. (Thanks, Damon, for yours!)

On the drive home, Mark and I sacrificed some efficiency to stop at some silly roadside landmarks: the world's largest wind chime, the world's largest rocking chair (coming soon!), and the world's largest golf tee.

The trip was short but sweet! After coming home, we had a few days to finish preparing for our next adventure--the land/sea vacation in Alaska hosted by my parents (photos and more coming soon :-).