On the 9th day of Christmas my parents gave to us...

Memory: FAMILY REUNIONS! Every summer my mom's family would take turns hosting the family reunion. We would usually camp for 3 days together with loads of activities. One activity that has been in the Fielding family for generations is the Dummy Doll. She came all the way from England. She is a puppet that the little kids ask questions. She answers with a nod of the head. The highlight is when the kids take turns sticking their finger in her mouth and she bites them. We had treasure hunts, egg tosses, sawdust hunts, went to church together, played and saw incredible things. I remember being Castle Dale, Ut. and going through the mines, Casey getting stung by the scorpion, the playhouse falling on Delynn, Shawn popping a HUGE bubble at the Manti pageant and it popping ALL over his face. Gum was stuck in his hair, eyebrows, on his ears! I remember Cody and Micheal crashing the 4-wheeler and Cody breaking his arm. Clifton breaking his arm. Playing night games with all the cousins, cooking and eating every meal together as a family. I remember feeling shy sometimes around the big boys. I especially remember Grandma and Grandpa's camper. Grandma would stash treats and Popsicles for us kids in her freezer. Grandpa always wore that white hat with the thin blue stripe, and his coveralls. He always seemed so happy!

Grandma Koon always got together once a month to celebrate the birthdays of the month. I loved going to Gran's! I loved swimming in the slough, walking to the dam with the boys, calling Josh, Squashy. I remember feeling so at home at Gran's. I loved all the cookouts EVERY time we got together (except in the deep snow) roasting hot dogs, 3 bean bake, DELICIOUS birthday cakes, Martia's Milk Can dinners! Digging in the pasture, dirt fights by the slough. We used to take the rowboat out and find the sunken covered wagon and the old shed half deep in water. Fishing on the banks of the slough, watching dad fish. Taking walks through the field so we could play in the trees. I loved taking rides on the car hood that was hooked behind the pickup and being drug through the field through the snow. Sitting for hours at a time in the orchard eating green apples and salt from film canister salt shakers. Sneaking gooseberries from off the bush, playing teeter totter on the pipe trailer. Using the outhouse! Getting water from the pump outside cause it tasted batter. Not being allowed upstairs cause that was the boys WORLD! OH THE MEMORIES!

Gift: pictures on CD of past family reunions and gatherings