Goodie Box and Ghost Stories

Sit down and relax, I have a lot to say and it might take a while.

Goodie Box and Ghost Stories:
How did the kiddos keep emptying the goodie box? How many $20.00 refills did it take? How far could Branson crawl inside? How many goodies could Branson eat? Connor? How many adults had their fair share of Oatmeal Cream Pies?

Goodies came in handy during night time ghost stories. Connor went on a fact finding mission to ascertain the truth of the "scary Annie doll with red eyes who goes oooh oooh waving her hands" while sitting in the dark time tent" It was real he said, Michael saw it. He was not satisfied with the it is just-a-ghost-story theory" He was satisfied with the report that it might have been taillights going up the hill. Sounded logical enough. Who said Michael told a ghost story good enough to scare himself?

Snakes and Zombies:
Jackson wasn't too sure about hiking up the hill,
at night,
in the dark,
past where the snake slithered up the tree over his tent,
and after all the zombie movie talk around the campfire.
Two scary things was one scary thing too much. Auntie Ber came through, of course. It think it was even worse than being kissed by his sister.
His tent was abandoned for that night.
Until it was moved.
In the daylight.
Away from the tree.

Flag Lines and Fish Fries:    
The biggest success had to of been the flag line. There were a few gaping holes but they will be filled next year. California was missing. Jeff said people got so excited about the flag line he went out and bought another 100 feet of rope.

From Tibetan Prayer Flags to a Hogwarts Banner, everything was pretty much represented; three countries, four states, sports teams to numerous to enumerate. Well, actually I can enumerate them, I made a list in anticipation of this moment:

Tibetan Prayer Flags --  wafting prayers heavenward
  full of peace, compassion, courage, love, tranquility, happiness.
  If it hadn't of been me it would have been somebody else.
  Jeff's original inspiration.
  They worked.
  Birds and prayers fly free.
Hogwarts -- Chris and Nora
Stark Banner -- Chris and Nora
Arkansas Razorbacks -- Julia and Tal, I think. Maybe Jeff.
Costa Rica -- Julie and Tal
Arkansas State Flag -- Julia and Tal, I think. Maybe Jeff.
"It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" -- Jerry and Jane, good call
Turtle -- Jan's itty bitty turtle doo-dad
American -- Lynn
Boy Scout bandanna -- Jeff
Dogs at Cards -- Jeff's tapestry
Arkansas Razorbacks -- Jeff
Oklahoma University -- Jeff
England -- Jeff
do-rag 51 -- Jason's football bandanna from Springdale High School -- Jeff
  Do you know how long the Taylor's can talk about the correct spelling of do-rag?
Oklahoma State Flag -- Jeff
Small flag little faces??? sorry can't read my notes???
and another I can't read my notes???
Greenleaf T Shirts -- Jeff
  Starbucks -- 2013
  Crossword Puzzle -- 2014
  Survivor -- 2011
Welcome Garden Flag; Frog -- Jean and family
Washington State -- Jan, it only cost me $53.00
Oklahoma T Shirts -- Jan
  Scissor Tailed Flycatcher
  Rose Rock
Do What You Can bananna, for the Earth and the animals that live on it -- Jan
Christian's 10th Birthday Capture the Flag flag -- Jan
American -- Jerry and Jane, the one flown over the National Capitol in his honor.
Oklahoma State Flag -- Jerry and Jane
Oklahoma Thunder Flag -- Jerry and Jane
late comers;
Washington University -- Roger, go Huskies
Han Solo's Millennium Falcon -- by Connor
The Old Red Barn -- by Roger
Oklahoma State University -- Blaine
  Were there others?
Kansas State -- ???
  Were there others?

Next year it will be bigger and better, Jeff promises. He already has a box marked Greenleaf Flag Line. Go Jeff go. Hum, maybe we need a "Go Jeff" flag or "Jeff, Every Bodies Favorite".

Marc outdid himself with the fish fry. All the expertise, all the equipment, all the fish and french fries you could eat, all the gawkers. He works deliciously under pressure. I mentioned to Roger that with all the fabulous food one of my favorites is still Jeff's Tub-O-Stuff. Roger said, I don't know the fish fry was pretty fantastic -- yes it was. Thank you Marc. You will do it again next year I presume. And Mary Lee what can I say about the tarter sauce except Christian brought me the wrong kind at first and I made him go back. I love how prepared you were for this annual event. You will do it again next year I presume.

Photos and Fishing:
Speaking of fish fries, there wouldn't be one without fish. The fishing dock was a big fat bust. Days and days of fishing yielded no fish. Not no one, not no how, so Marc to the rescue and off to Lake Eufaula for a guided fishing event. Fish aplenty. You would have thought it was the miracle of five loaves and two fish. We are always grateful for miracles, and fish, and family, and fish fryers, and equipment, and gawkers,

Mike was a genius at photographs. A GENIUS! He planned, ran, busted his head, and delivered the most outstanding group of family pictures ever. He even outdid himself. What can I say, he just keeps getting better and better, besides he is a GENIUS.

Bumped Heads and Dizzy Spells:
Besides Mike's bumped and bleeding head, yes, he got the shot before he received medical attention, Tal had the dizzy spell. A trip to Muskogee Hospital couldn't find anything apparently wrong. Hopefully he was just off his feed; diabetic, outdoors, fishing to no avail, different environment, sleep patterns, and water, etc. Nurse Jane, wife Julia and future son in law accompanied him. Jane as the expert, Julia as the concerned loved one, Chris as the one who had to face Nora if he did it wrong. Nora was a long, long, long ways away and Chris had to keep her updated. Nora was at a Yellowstone Valley business retreat.

After the concern for Tal's health subsided, all the Costa Rica fear rose. Everyone was watching everyone else so closely trying to maintain everyone's health and fitness that I started feeling the pressure to stay healthy until after the Costa Rica trip, oh, and wedding. Never forget the wedding. Jeff finally came to the proper conclusion that it would be really sad to leave anyone behind as they flew away on a magnificent Costa Rican vacation, but it would be done. 

Michael inquiring after Tal's health the following morning told Julia, "I have to have him, I have to." "I don't want him to get dizzy and pass out." He then went on to plan, in detail, what he would do if it happened under his watch. If they were in a car, if they were drifting, which brake to use, how to call 911. Michael has Tal's back.

Mimosas and Mamma's 
Chris and Nora made a return performance of mimosas, well, probably Chris, Nora was in Yellowstone. It was almost mimosas in bed as they delivered to all early in the morning. Generously bringing cups, ice, OJ, and champagne. We were happy to see them also, it wasn't just the mimosas.

Great mamma's graced the stage, and one daddy. Cara and Summer are stellar parents as attested by their adorable kiddos. And Roger did a mighty fine job of letting Connor run with the big boys, eat out of the goodie box, climb, hike, play, paint, pout, and swing glow sticks to his heart's content. When Connor was getting ready to leave he said he wanted to come to Greenleaf every day, actually he wanted to live there.

I cannot express adequately how precious, kind, helpful, generous, loving, entertaining, funny, smart, witty, creative and adventurous all these young ones are. From Sun up until after Sundown they were amazing. Here's to Jackson, Avery, Maddie, Michael, Connor, Branson, and Tripp the trip. How lucky and blessed we are to have them in our life. And then along came Isabell...

Isabell does not think she will come next year, she knows she will. It has been decided or is that decreed? That long-legged beauty has plans. What started as a diversion became absolute. No such thing as long lost cousins to her, we are all family.

Dutch Ovens and Dogs:
In just about equal measure. All those good Mamma's I mentioned can be extended from kids towards their dogs.

All the goodness I mentioned can be extended from kids, to dogs, to dutch oven cooking. What would we do without all those dutch ovens fired up and cooking delicious awesomeness. I noticed two new converts perusing the methods of our resident masters; Jeff, Mike, Tal, Chris M, anyone else. I think Marc gave it a go. And now Mark and Chris Taylor are hooked and will be back next year, probably with a few pounds more travel weight and a dollar or two poorer, but cooking with the big boys.

For clarity, Christian named our three Chris's; short hair, long hair, and no hair, the three Chris's.

A bit of this and that:
Flags, food, pulled pork, sausage and veggies, heat, breezes, coffee on the porch, community, Branson, fleet Michael, big cabin, skinny Mark, Mike alone with the one and only responsibility -- to fish, Julia walking, biking -- carefully, Tal scare, he has a heart and a brain, short timers disease, don't screw up Jeff's Costa Rican vacation, helping hands; Chris, Jackson, Taylor had Jean's car unloaded in the time it took me to sit down at the fire ring, cookies, Jane fell, Chibi runs, Apollo weighs five pounds, No hair Chris cut himself with a knife, Mike banged his head on the cabin trying to get the shot, correction getting the shot, Clark had walking pneumonia and couldn't come, Jeff plays with or without family there, tent city Taylor style, no one and I do mean NO ONE can eat more junk food than Branson.

Speaking of Branson, when I arrived he said, "ooh, goo." I asked Summer what is he trying to say? She shrugged her shoulders and said, "ooh, goo." By the time reunion was over I was pretty proficient in Branson Speak, but Christian had the hug. Don't tell Christian but Ian received a hug also.

When Maddie was lamenting she didn't have a t shirt, Christian asked her; Did you order one? "Noooo" Did you pay for one? "Noooooooo."

Christian swears he went to The Taylor Family Reunion and food just kept appearing as if by magic. I'm sorry it didn't work for Maddie and a t shirt.

It was a great big fat do nothing reunion. Everyone came and nothing happened. Michael likes math. Jean is amazing; she cooks, walks pain free, picks up, drives, delivers, plans, helps, accepts help, is the matriarch, keeps the coffee flowing, and loves us all.

Well, Roger ran. Jackson has a goal of going the twelve mile distance to Braggs and back with Roger. Next year Jackson, next year.

A bit about Michael:
Besides being nine years old, nature's most perfect human being age, I told Michael he was going to rich and famous some day so he needed to learn how to be interviewed, He told me, "I don't know about being famous, but I'm sure going to be rich."

Favorite color -- yellow, subject -- math, flavor -- chocolate, wants to become rich working for and/or at The Ford Plant, likes cats because they are fuzzy, soft, and cuddly, everything is awesome especially family, he likes his Aunt Jan, discovered at the showers that girls get the hot water, boys get the cold. there were two levels; cold and colder, you Google to learn about stuff, you Youtube to learn how to do stuff, likes muscle cars.

Then I listened to a lot of talk about cars, trucks, suspension, and retained very little. This is just about the time Michael heard the magic word, mechanic. He raised his smart head, looked around and asked "Who's a mechanic?" Quotable quote; "Christian is my kind of guy.

A bit about Taylor:
What does your mom worry about you?
She doesn't worry she just wants me to be happy.

Other quotable quotes:
"Dance, monkey, dance." Branson to his staff.
"I can't help with that chore, I'm feeling dizzy."
"I'm not talking politics on this trip."
"There is loveliness in the world and you are part of it."
"It's nice to be important, but it is more important to be nice."
"Did you bring fruit salad?" Seventeen times, at least, to Karolyn.

"Jan, tell Mary this is the kind of book I delight in. I now think of her as a sister. Please remember to invite me to all family get togethers at Flathead Lake."

Greenleaf State Park office check out lady; 
"I came in early to get all this paperwork done before you all started checking out. This year was hard, really hard." Maybe we owe her a treat or a least a place of honor on the flag line.

We had success and failures:
Flag line super success
Pink Flamingos super failure

Jean's Speech:
2016 reunion will be October 9 - 16, 2016. The second week not the third.
Thank you Jeff for maintaining the fire, camp chairs, and family circle.
Thank you Jeff, Julia and Tal for all the paper/eating utensils.
Made clean up a breeze.
Thank you Jerry, Jane and the Marc Taylor family for all the firewood.
Thank you Mark and Amber for all the t-shirt work; the design, execution, sorting, delivering and exchanging. They were great.
Thank you new family and friends for joining:
Kenny, Chibi, Ed, and Chris and Isabell Taylor.
Welcome Jan's three sons. First time all three were here at the same time.
Jan had the most children attend. Hee Hee.
Congratulations to Nora and Chris Miller on their upcoming nuptials.
That would be short hair Chris.
Thank you Mike for always taking such stunning photographs.
You always make us look good.
Christian then thanked everyone for making him feel like he had never been away.

And I might add, Thank you Jean for being the most awesome matriarch.

And a reminder, Chris, no hair Chris, has started a countdown clock.
Please post it occasionally on FB Chris.

Intense campers unite the count down has begun from one mighty fine time to the next mighty fine time. Counting down, counting down.
See you at Greenleaf.

A bit about aging:
Anything I have two of, one of them hurts.

Best son's dinner ever.