Family reunions are for quality family time. Lounging, talking, joking, walking down memory lane and reminding everyone of funny events from past reunions.
Family reunions are for Scavenger Hunts…
Complete with high pressure, timed games…
And building alliances while strategizing.
The Scavenger Hunt has been a family tradition for over 25 years. My Uncle Mike puts it together and it’s elaborate, competitive and so much fun. It really was the highlight of the weekend, as it always was growing up. My cousin Anna and I were best friends growing up and we were always on the same time–competing against her brother Adam’s team (seen above in the white shirt). We were all so close in age that the competition was FIERCE. Strategy was involved. Shit talkin’, heckling, and betting. 😉
Uncle Mike does a great job creating the Scavenger Hunt so it appeals to all ages. There’s stuff for the little kids (for example they had to collect the most plastic bugs from the garden for points, or an Easter Egg Hunt). Then there’s trivia and brain teasers for the older kids, and skilled based competitions for the athletes.
The “Strong Man” competition this year was who could make the best paper airplane and fly it the furthest. My team was ROBBED! 🙂 We were technically the winners but Uncle Dick’s paper airplane landed in a tree.
Family reunions are for water balloon fights and exploding volcanoes…
Family reunions are for winning coveted trophies…
And really, really good food! There was brisket:
And delicious potluck food. Lots of salads and homemade lasagna:
There was so much food but for some reason I wasn’t crazy hungry by the time dinner was put out. I went through the line and got one spoonful of everything I wanted to try, intending to go back for seconds and I never did.
I ate almost all of it and ended up skipping the bun and eating the brisket without the sandwich. I made pretty good choices and didn’t go overboard with dinner. Dessert? That’s another story.
I ate 1/8 of a slice of banana cream pie, 1/8 of a slice of chocolate pudding pie, 1 macaroon and 1 no bake cookie.
Then a little while later I ended up having an ice cream cone!
So whatever good choices I made eating dinner in moderation I undid them with having several desserts. But it’s not the end of the world. I may have had several desserts but at least they were small servings! And they were so good!
The rest of the night was spent sitting by the campfire talking and relaxing. It was a fantastic day! I felt happy to be with family and friends, happy that I biked 13.5 miles on a sunny day and happy I ate good food.
QUESTION: Have you ever participated in a Scavenger Hunt? What’s your trick for enjoying potluck food without bingeing?
christi
I just have to tell you that I love, love, love your blog. I read it everyday and you are such an inspiration to me. You are a really good writer too. It is so awesome that you have kept off all of your weight. I would say, though, that the best part I like about your blog is the exercise part. I know all about diets and calories but exercise is new for me. I love how you and Michael try different activities such as snowshoeing, hiking, biking, swimming, heck, even gardening. My hubby and I went kayaking yesterday for two hours and that was a good upper body workout. We also are taking swing dancing lessons on Thursday nights. I have the same Polar heart monitor you do but I want to get a device that keeps tract of my mileage too. Thanks for a great blog with great pictures too. christi from CT
Lisa Eirene
Thank you for the compliments Christi! I’m glad you enjoy reading my blog. Doing the fitness stuff keeps it fun and interesting. Doing the same workout all the time in the gym is not my preferred method of keeping fit! I would much rather play outside.
How did you like kayaking? I’ve been wanting to try that for years and just haven’t done it yet. It looks like so much fun!
christi
the kayaking was really nice. I could feel the work on my shoulders and biceps much like the weight machines at the gym. We rented a tandem kayak for 2 hours along the CT shoreline at the mouth of a river. The water was calm, no tipping which can be scary, and we saw some really nice homes, boats, and wildlife. That is what is nice about kayaking, you can get a really close up view of all sorts of birds and fish. I went in Bar Harbor Maine where you could see straight down about 6 feet and it was awesome. Long Island Sound is not so clear. You and Michael should try it. The kayaks had seats and cup holders and were very comfy. Glad to help and give you some fitness ideas since you have given me so many. You really do inspire me to think of new things to do with my hubby for exercise. Thanks again, christi
Lisa Eirene
We almost went on a kayaking/camping trip two summers ago with some friends that do it a lot and then they canceled and we never found someone else to go with us. It’s definitely high on my “to do” list!
Amber from Girl with the Red Hair
Eric organized a scavenger hunt for my 21st birthday and it was SO MUCH FUN and hilarious!!!
Lisa Eirene
Ooooh! What a fantastic idea for a birthday party! I love it. I might have to borrow that idea….. 😀