G-R-E-E-R

Picture HEAVY post.  Friendly reminder to click on pics to see them larger.

G is for GORGEOUS views and weather...

My favorite view out of one of the cabins we stayed in.

Early morning as the sun rises and the dew dissapates. Looking out from our cabin porch.

The meadow in front of our cabin where we saw deer and even a baby black bear.
The highs each day were usually around 65 to 70 degrees.  It rained nearly every day, and at night jackets were necessary.  Couldn't ASK for a greater place to be.

R is for RELAXATION and Reading

Eric and Dad having a nice chat on the porch before church.                      Mom crocheting some dish rags on a lazy afternoon.

Dana and Adam getting a little reading in.                                                    Hayden reading and relaxin.  Those Jones boys are READERS!

Porter taking a little snoozer while we prepared for family pics.

E is for EXTREME amounts of game play:

At any given time you could generally find a hot game of hearts going, with a lot of trash talking to accompany it.  Or, there was Boggle galore, Scrabble, Zilch, the little boys thought they were playing poker (it's debateable), puzzle solving, Moods, Memory, Jacks, etc.  But mostly....HEARTS.  And Jamyn is the hearts master (and the trash talk, tooter bum master as well).

Porter and Lana workin the "look"  Most nights we sat around in a giant circle and played games or told stories.  But mostly we laughed A LOT!    Next is Dana playing a HOT game of Guess Who with her Jayce (helped out by Owen and Hayden)

How utterly adorable is my Mom playing jacks with Jenny and Conner?  Apparently Mom was the Jacks QUEEN in her day.

Dixie, Shane and Troy concentrating over their puzzle.  They're VERY serious about their puzzles.  Morgan, Maggie, Tatum and Jayce playing Sponge Bob Memory.  Good times!

Lana, Jere and Mom enjoying a late night game of Sequence.                       Porter, Dad and Jamyn workin the Boggle Cube.

Hearts....may the battles commence.                                                      Jere and Maggie playing Guess Who.  One of the sweetest moments for me!

Oh....looks like HEARTS..AGAIN!  Porter, Eric, Jamyn and Dad

E is for EXERCISE and ENTERTAINMENT:

We're an odd bunch...and have decided in recent years that exercise (in spite of my big booty) is "fun?"  So, we've added a Biggest Loseresque competition.  We divide into 3 teams and have to accomplish an ungodly amount of exercise in one sitting.  The fastest team wins.  This year...no words.  Ok fine, THESE words.  We did a 1/4 mile (I know ridiculously small) run that consisted of a straight uphill return at (I'm screaming this) 8000 FT.  Anyone know what happens to lungs that are not altitude prepared?  Holy CRAP!!!  It was painful, it hurt, I nearly died.  I had an asthma flare up of epic proportions.  But, more importantly, JERE participated.  This was HUGE!  In fact, Jeres team won, probably due to his most awesme squats that he busted out.

As far as entertainment...we're also nerdy in the fact that we like to share these little "talents" that God gave us.  So we have a variety of "acts" perform on talent night.  This year was stellar with a record turnout of participants.

Team TROY (Troy by the way is a machine)

Conner, Quinn, Jody, Breckyn, Jenny, Troy and Jere

Team Jamyn

Adam, Lana, Porter, Me, Jamyn, Hayden and Olivia

Team Dixie

Dana, Bryson, Eric, Harrison, Cooper, Dixie, Shane

Jer Bear doin some jump rope, AFTER the killer run.               Porter bustin out some pushups.

For the record, Jere is STILL crying in pain from his squats.  Also, we were allowed to opt out of two events, so I gracefully opted out of pushups and burpies, 'cause this jiggle wiggle don't do things like that.  I did do the run, jumprope, lunges, situps and squats.  OY!

Grandkids doing GRAND OLD FLAG per Grammas direction and request! ADORABLE! 

Dixies family doing a little number choreographed by her kids.  All I can say is...HANDS DOWN the best number o the night.  I watched this number and just giggled thinking of how adorable they were as a family.  Who sits around and actually learns dances together.  LOVE IT!

Jody doing an AMAZING hula hoop routine.                              Tatum, Maya, Brooklyn & Livy.  They named themselves the

                                                                                                              "Glitter Punks" and made up their own "rap". Adorable!

Jere and Lana did a scene.  They're cute.                                   My Mom doing "I Love A Piano". No words for her cuteness.

Sorry, but Maggie deserved her own shot.  The fact that she stood up and did anything was a Festivus MIRACLE!  She favored us with a little singing too and dance actions for

Party in the USA!

In this pic she's "moving her hips like yeah."

Here we are, ALL participants in the nights talent events.  Troy was just about the ONLY one who didn't do anything.  Needless to say, I have MANY more pictures and video.  Look for a future post. The talent levels in this family are sort of ree-donk!

R is for REUNITING:

Two years ago, the oldest grandchild, Bryson, left for a 2 year mission to Argentina.  It worked out that he got home while we were in Greer and got to come up and be with us for the last 4 days.  It was sooo FUN to make the signs, and stand in anticipation for the moment he would drive up and we would once again be reunited.  An ENTIRE family all together again.

The silly bunch of us anxiously awaiting "the moment."  We had tunes blasting and we were giddy with anticipation.

Finally....he made is triumphant RETURN!!

Breckyn and Jamyn (2 of his siblings) ran a fast as they could to be the first to get their hugs.

Gramma Dian takes her turn.  There were happy tears shed and complete joy to have him safely home.

 

The Jones/Rodgers family "whole" again.

Greer....Gorgeous, relaxing, Extreme, enetertaining, reuniting.  It was truly a week of joy, love, laughter and magic!  I'm so grateful to be part of such an amazing and FUN family!!

Can't wait for next year....the countdown has begun....364 days to go.

Laughter and gas clouds,

Allyson

P.S.  Lest anyone think we're done talking about Greer....think again.  There are at least 200 other pictures I didn't share.  So, look for upcoming posts to cover some more of the time.  I mean, you're DYING to know about how we rocked the small town karaoke right?  BEST.NIGHT.EVER!