We had a great time this year at the Safsten family reunion! The family is spread out all over the U.S. Joy in Chicago, Chris in Maryland, Erick in Florida, Kristina in Arizona. Usually they all come out here for the reunion, but this year we went out by Chris to the Outer Banks, N.C. We stayed in Corolla.
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| Jacob loved the airplane ride! |
We flew to Chris' home, in Baltimore, on Wed., July 2nd. We flew with Mom and Dad.
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| Visiting at Chris' house |
The following day we got up and took the subway into Washington D.C. I had been there 20 years ago with Joy and had a great time seeing everything. Having done this I realized that Jacob would probably not be up for all of the walking we would be doing. I was so right! It was hot and he was tired and told us several times how much he hated this place! He actually had fun once we were in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.
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Riding the subway
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| Jacob sharing his loving feelings towards all of the walking |
After seeing the Smithsonian we walked down to see the WWII Memorial. I would have loved to see the American History museum and Holocaust museum, but Jacob was done. We walked to the subway and met Chris on his way home from work and went back together.
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| Riding the subway home |
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| Slip and slide |
Friday, July 4th we went to Chris' ward 4th of July breakfast and then went down to Jen's parent's house for dinner. They had a slip and slide...
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| Chris and Jen |
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Getting the ice ready
.....and they also did ice blocking in their yard (they have a several acres). |
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| Ready...set.... |
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| Go!! |
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| Back up the hill to go down again |
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| Jacob, Garrett and Ross' son (Jen's brother) |
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| Trying to go down together |
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| Dad trying it |
After dinner we went out for fireworks.
By the end of the day Jacob was tired!!!
Saturday we spent the day shopping and packing the vans. We had 2 vans and a Honda Accord. We were stuffed to the gills going down with food, 20 boogie boards, etc.
That night the missionaries came over to dinner (Chris is the ward mission leader). I think I would have been on overload about this point if I were Jen. Having to cook for the missionaries and plan to leave the next morning??? She amazed me!!
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| Getting reading to leave |
To avoid traffic we left on Sunday morning at 4:45 a.m! We arrived around 11:30 a.m.
We to Kitty Hawk, where the Wright brothers made the first flight.
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| Jacob in front of replica of the first plane. Cost over 1 million to replicate. The original cost $700 to build. |
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| Looking down at where they took off |
We couldn't get into the beach house until 3 p.m. so we parked the cars at the house and took off to see the beach.
The previous week there had been a hurricane and so it took until 4:30 to get in as the owner had to make some repairs to the house.
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| Back view of home. Just inside gate was the pool. |
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| View from top deck |
We walked out the back of the house and up the sand hill to go down to the beach.
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| Kristina, Adrienne, Me, Heidi and Jen relaxing |
Everyone arrived that night, we figured out rooms, cooked dinner and rested. For meals each family took a night, picked the menu and cooked for everyone. Worked out well.
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| Jason working with Jacob on the boogie board |
Chris and Erick....having fun.
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| Stephanie, Madeline and Kristin |
Even Mom and Dad came out a few days. Mom even went out in the water to where everyone was boarding!
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| Olivia, Kennedy and Jacob digging in the sand |
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| The walk down the hill. Joy & Matthew |
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| Dad, Chris ad Malia |
Dad and Chris ready to head out!
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| Chris cooking breakfast |
The kids spent several days digging their own pools on the shore.
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| Pancakes anyone? |
Saturday morning Chris, Stephanie, Jason and I got up at 5:45 to go out and see the sunrise. It was so quiet, cool and beautiful!
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| Chris and Stephanie |
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| Sun coming up! |
Each family had their own bedroom and bathroom, but all of the kids slept on couches and air beds.
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| Morning chat |
There are other pictures I am waiting for from Chris. Each night we had a family activity. Monday we had Family Home Evening. David and Heidi did it and they did Minute to Win it. We were divided up into 5 teams and had 6 rounds. So funny!
Tuesday night we had joke and family history night. Odd combination, but it worked.
Wednesday night we celebrated Mom's birthday. Chris had put together a video for it.
Thursday night was talent night.
Friday was devotional night where kids who had gone to EFY told about their experiences.
Saturday the adults tried to go out to dinner, but the wait was 1 1/2 hours. Came back home and had pizza with the kids. This was the 7th night there and we had 6 families cooking...we had decided that this night no one cooked and we'd get take out.
Sunday we cleaned up and left. We drove back to Maryland with Chris and family and stayed there that night. Monday we got up and flew home. It was so fun to stay with Chris and his family. Jacob loved being with Garrett and fun to being with all of them!
After dinner we went out for fireworks.
Saturday we spent the day shopping and packing the vans. We had 2 vans and a Honda Accord. We were stuffed to the gills going down with food, 20 boogie boards, etc. 
We couldn't get into the beach house until 3 p.m. so we parked the cars at the house and took off to see the beach. 
Chris and Erick....having fun.
