50th Anniversary Report

Welcome to Camp Thompson Ranch (aka CTR) for a week long Grandparent's Camp celebrating 50 years of the Thompson-Powell adventure. Click on the pictures to see the people more clearly.

Here are some below and after pictures to put the 50 years in perspective. Granddaughter Summer made the delicious three tiered cake.

Can you count up the family? They are color coded so you can match kids with parents. Sorry that the one in front of the house is a bit blurry.

We spent a relive the past day in Gainesville floating down the Ichetucknee River, gathering sharks teeth in the creek (the promised adventure of prospecting for sharks teeth was the only way we could get 35 grandchildren loaded up to go two hours away), and watching the bats come out at night. We had to cancel the traditional graffiti painting on the 34th Street wall because of lightning and torrential rain. We also made sure that Tamarie was included in the family activities.

We rode horses, bounced, biked, surfed, ziplined, and swam throughout the week.

We also had our traditional spiritual day. (At our last family reunion Wendy got married.) For one morning one parent from each family stayed home with the children doing the above mentioned activities while the Thompson aunts, uncles and grandparents went with Summer to the temple before she leaves on her mission to Nampa, Idaho in August.

Everyone had a chance to show off their talents ranging from yo-yo tricks, to singing, dancing, and joke telling, to crocheting horses for grandma and installing a kitchen fan for grandpa.

Perhaps the most exciting thing for the grandchildren was to be trained to fight pirates in St. Augustine to regain their stolen treasure chest. Who looks like the most ferocious pirate in training?

We were attacked by a pirate ship, but our highly trained crew fought them off and then got to share the defended treasure.

Of course, the food was great. The first day we had a corn and tomato feast from our garden topped off with wild blackberry buckle with berries picked by the grandkids in our fields. You'll notice from their shapes that the tomatoes are obviously "organic". A highlight for the week was Kim and David teaching us how to be better Aussies and how to drink milk Aussie style using a Tim Tam cookie as a straw. Notice that we all fit in the new gazebo.

Everyone got a new recipe book of family favorites.

Everyone made it to CTR, including David who was in Ireland searching for his leprechaun pot of gold the week before.

Even grandchild 36 decided to tag along and check out if the Thompson Powell lineage is a good one to join in August. I'm sure she heard lots of laughter, felt good vibes in her momma's belly and is anxious to join the Thompson Powell adventure for the next 50 years.

Thanks everyone for a great week.