We hosted the BH Tolman Reunion on June 9, 10, & 11 in Ed & Kathy's backyard. Josh's grandpa Rex Tolman was one of ten siblings that began the reunion over 50 years ago, and they each took turns hosting the annual event, and then the children took turns hosting for them as their generation began to pass away. The only sibling left is Grandpa Rex's youngest sister, Aunt Louise. She was able to come to Salmon to participate in the reunion, which is more of a biennial event now.
The main day of the reunion was Saturday, June 10th, but a few people came early on Friday the 9th to camp in the yard and hang out around the old family homestead. There were around 150 family members who attended the reunion on Saturday, which was such a great turnout. It was the MOST fun day I'd had in quite a long time. The weather was gorgeous, the company was enjoyable, and the setting was perfect. We ate yummy food (the main meal was hamburgers and side dishes), kids played in the ditch and yard, adults sat and talked, and I spent the majority of the afternoon playing games with a group of young adults for HOURS! It was a day full of complete contentment. At one point in the afternoon, I stopped and just listened to my surroundings. I heard many voices sharing conversations and laughter from both the young and the old. To me, the combined sounds represented one feeling: joy. I loved witnessing generations of a large family coming together for one beautiful day, and I'm so blessed to have been a part of this group for the last 25 years!
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| Aunt Linette & Great Aunt Louise visiting on Saturday morning |
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| Ed & Kathy welcoming the large group before lunch |
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| Josh & Edward grilling burgers for the masses |
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| Their backyard is a perfect gathering place for family! |
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| Josh & his sister Tiffany with Aunt Louise |
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| Kids playing in the sand pile under the tree |
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| Kids playing in the ditch |
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| More toys and camping were set up in the front yard |
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Rex & Beth's living children:
Tim, Jane, Ed, Linette, Janet |
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| Kanyon joined me at the young adult table for hours of game time! |
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| I seriously had SOOOO much fun! |
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I'm so glad to be related to this group of cousins! They are
my favorite group to play games with at reunions! |
By Sunday afternoon, there was only a handful of family who were still in Salmon. We visited in the yard for a few hours with some of Aunt Louise's kids and grandkids who were camping there. Then we headed to Cockrell Campground that evening to visit with Uncle Jack's kids and grandkids who were having their own family reunion there (thankfully it coincided with our larger reunion on Saturday, resulting in so much family being able to join us!). We played games with them again, ate dinner, and hung out until it got dark. Kanyon had so much fun, he went back up to Cockrell Campground after work again on Monday and spent more time with them, doing crafts, eating, and playing games. We had no idea where he was, and he came home after dark with a picture he'd painted and said he'd spent more time at the family reunion! We aren't a part of Jack's immediate family, so we were so incredibly happy that he felt like he belonged there and that they welcomed him back to join them! Especially considering he doesn't usually reach out to others easily and he struggles with feelings of belonging at social gatherings. We feel so blessed to belong to the Tolman family!
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| The large picnic tables had a lot fewer people at them on Sunday! |
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| Edward drove some of the remaining kids on the Harris' wagon train. |
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| I took this photo right before he took a curve too sharp and tipped it over! |
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| Playing games with the Jerome cousins at the Cockrell Campground |
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| Kanyon kept playing even after Josh and I stopped in order to visit! |
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| He felt right at home with this family! |
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The painting he made at the Jack Tolman Reunion,
of him changing pipe in Grandpa's field! |
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