More family fun at our Reunion

Miriam organized some great props to use for each team to make up a skit for us.
Our children and grandchildren are very creative and came up with some fun skits.
They were asked to try to use every prop given and every member of their team in their skits which they did.
Marlene, Nate and Melanie gave each family a plaque to take home as a souvenir for the reunin. The plaque had a quote by President Monson that said, "Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved". This went along with the theme of our reunion, "The answer is More Love".

This has been a great reunion. It is hard to see it end. We have enjoyed so much all being together. The memories from the reunion will last forever.

Sunday Activities at our Reunion

The children had Primary in the Ellingson's basement where they had chairs all set up. Dallin, Laura, Adrianne, Erin, Travis, Alison and Melissa all took turns teaching them a lesson or singing Primary songs with them.
The adults had a special testimony meeting and answered questions sent out before the reunion for us to answer about an experience in our life when the answer was more love or sharing a way we have been spiritually strengthen lately or a certain principle of the gospel that we feel our testimony has been growing in. It was a great opportunity for us to grow closer as a family.
Travis also reported his mission to Taiwan that he very recently completed.

Today we celebrated Chelsea's 16th birthday and her Uncle Melvin's 35th birthday. Chelsea was born just before Melvin left on his mission to Samara, Russia. We all went to Sacrament Meeting together in our Keating Ward increasing their attendance today by about 100.
Tony and Miriam and family served lots of lasagna to all of us. All of our meals were delicious as they were prepared by different family members.
Kenneth and Jenni put on a fun Family Game Show in the evening at the Ellingson's ward building. Everyone had a good time answering questions they passed out yesterday and then dividing up in teams to today to guess what the top answers would be to each question about the family.

Program at our 50th Wedding Anniversary Party

The program that Melvin planned started right at 7 PM with a quartet consisting of four of our sons, Vernon, Melvin, Kenneth and Ray singing "Happy Days". They did a beautiful job with great harmony. Marlene read one of her Dad's favorite poems, "Marry Well" and after telling about the poem and reciting it said, "and we did".
Jenni sang a beautiful solo "When I Fall in Love" accompanied by Rauna. Joann then read another one of her Dad's poems, "The Parable of the Bicycle".
Our grandchildren sang, "The Family is of God". The stage was full with our beautiful grandchildren and my heart was full. While they were on the stage Vernon, who was the emcee for the program introduced each of our children and their families.
Miriam gave a beautiful tribute beginning by saying, "How do you convey our love and appreciation for our wonderful parents over a lifetime of love and service, in my inadequate way, I'm gong to try" and then she gave a beautiful tribute.
Jay and I then said a few words thanking all of our children and grandchldren for all they did for us and our friends who came to honor us. Some of our friends came from long distances to be with us. We had a wonderful evening. We are so blessed. "Because I have been given much I too must give".

Married 50 years and even more in love

We had a wonderful evening greeting family and friends at our 50th Wedding Anniversary Celebration.
Jay and Lavona -Then and Now
Our children made a beautiful quilt for us with each child making a couple of blocks. This is a very unique quilt showing lots of talent and sharing lots of fun family memories.
The decorations and refreshments added so much to the festivities.
Formal picture of the Jay and Lavona Richardson family taken at our 50th Wedding Anniversary Celebration on July 18, 2009

Decorating for the 50th Anniversary Celebration

Amy was in charge of decorations for our 50th Wedding Anniversary Celebration and did a great job.
The family helped her decorate.
The decorations were beautiful.
Table display of our 11 children and their families--All because two people fell in love.
Our friends saw this as they came in to greet us. Our greatest accomplish in life is our wonderful children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Fun Family Games at Reunion

At our Family Reunion we had lots of fun family games that we played together.
The games were lots of fun for all ages.
Travis had lots of cute ideas for the different teams to do and then share.
Each family was assigned a meal. It was quite a production to feed about 90 people.
The teenagers provided a cute carnival for the children while the adults decorated the hall for our party. They had a fish pond, lollipop game, bowling, tossing the ball into the clown's mouth, etc. Everyone had a good time.

Family T-Shirts- Do you know the Answer?

How blessed Jay and I are to have such a great posterity. They honor us with their goodness.
It's hard to believe that we now have 98 in our family. They all bring us such joy.
Three of our granddaughters show off their babies. We have 62 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren.
We have cute great grandbabies. We are so happy that they were with us at our Reunion.
Marlene and her Dad introduced the theme of our Reunion, "The Answer is More Love" as we met together in the Tempe Stake Center on July 18, 2009.

Swimming at Brimhall Pool

We rented Brimall Swimming Pool from 7 PM to 9PM for our Family Reunion.
We all had a great time. There were activities for all ages with slides, diving board, wading pool, etc.
Everyone in the Brimhall pool were a member of our family. What a great time we had.
Cousins enjoyed playing games together in the pool.
We ate watermelon after the swimming to end a great day of Family Reunion.

Family Dance and fun Games at Family Reunion

Our family reunion continued with a fun family dance. I enjoyed dancing with Derek.
The Hancock's brought fun music for line dances that we all enjoyed.
Everyone had fun trying to go under the limbo bar without touching it.
Rauna and Fred organized a fun human foos ball game for more fun at the reunion.
Marlene introduced the gong. Anyone that wanted to could come and hit the gong and ask "Do you know the answer?" The family would then say "The answer is More Love which is the theme of the reunion and then the person hitting the gong could say something they admired about Grandpa and Grandma Richardson. We felt like celebrity during the reunion. Also before dinner we gave out our books "Life's Precious Lessons" that we published for our posterity about experiences from our lives.

Amazing Race and Progressive Dinner

Our Family Reunion began July 17, 2009 with an Amazing Race and Progressive Dinner. We met at the Laguna park to divide the group into teams and to give them the rules and first task.
They were to make their way to the nearest oriental store and locate and purchase one bag of fortune cookies to take to Amy's home where she served them lettuce wraps and egg rolls.
Next task was to locate a pizza spot that the Becks are way too familiar with and pick up a menu to bring to Ray's where he served them curry and rice.
Before coming to our home for Mango Sticky Rice for dessert each team had to make their way to the nearest water and Ice store and take a photo with everyone but the photographer in front of the Thrifty Logo and send the photo to Amy's cell phone. I then greeted each team telling them they had one more task to do. They had to go to our pool and have a member of their team dive in for five pennies to bring to me before enjoying the dessert and fortune cookies.
Everyone seemed to have a great time and it started off our reunion with lots of fun. We were so happy that Evan could come after having another brain surgery just three days ago. Our prayers were answered.