I remember Sun Valley . . . by Billy Barnwell

I remember Sun Valley also but I suppose a bit differently than most of the cousins. I remember the extreme feeling of heartache I felt going there in the summer and looking up at those runs on Baldy feeling a sense of torture that we were not there in the winter. I remember going to the hospital because I got the flu so bad I was dehydrated beyond repair usually my small nieces and nephews were trying to kill me with something they had contracted. I remember Anna coming into the condo telling me little Brenda was in the pond she was maybe 2 or 3 and there was that little bugger floating perfectly on her back. It is a wonder any of my sisters kids survived my babysitting skills but Gunnar is grateful I got to practice on them first. I remember playing football with Dan Plater, Mike, Kevin, and others. I remember taking Erin four wheeling up the side of mount baldy while I introduced her to talking heads, rafting the Salmon, bridge jumping, trap shooting with Spider (he work at the range but was my age) Playing golf with Lefty, Tom and Dave. The amazing Ice shows and food of course at the show, I remember Uncle Jim driving me to Sun valley I think the very first year we went. I remember that year he taught me how to wash a car properly and it was a lesson I have kept my whole life. That same year he took me to see Indiana Jones it was a great summer like every summer I spent in Salt Lake. But the thing I remember most about Sun Valley is when I went to visit with Grandma at the lodge shortly before I graduated DU so it must have been 1988 or 89 since Grandma came to my graduation. She was trying to put her makeup on and having some difficulty so I was there helping as much as I could. I had asked the front desk for a magnifying mirror they did not have one so I called housekeeping and asked if they had any in lost in found we could borrow. They in fact did and brought it to her. While we were waiting she said “Bill promise me when you are a big hotel executive you will make sure your hotel has a nice vanity so old women can put on their makeup”. I promise Grandma if I ever become one I won’t forget.

I Remember Shasta of course but mostly I remember the rope swing, Aunt Billie crashing Lefty’s Caddy, I remember seeing waterfalls, turtles and amazing sunsets! I remember the time we had the family trip in Tahoe which was fantastic. We rented a few condos on the North Shore in Incline right on the lake. We had our own dock we all got to go water skiing and Erin and I got don’t rock the boat T-shirts and we spent most of the time down on the beach catching crawdads and minnows. Then there was the trip to Oregon which we took in an RV. I remember Adam got me the coolest cassette player for my birthday before we left and lots of great cassettes to go with it; Elton John, Boston, The Eagles, my favorite Led Zeppelin. We listen to it the whole way and whenever we stopped for gas we ran into the store to get more batteries. When we got there we would go crab fishing in the morning, explore the beaches where there were the best drift wood forts for miles and miles. At night we would have s’mores and make sand candles. Some days we would hike and gather berries and Aunt Billie & Aunt Carol would make all kind of wonderful treats from them yum!!!

Lo Jolla who could ever forget the amazing summer trips Grandma would take there. We stayed in these apartments directly across from the cove. We would drag back all manner of sea life to our balcony, play Frisbee in the park skate board everywhere and then hit boweivals (SP) for the 1lb steer burger. Adrian & I were regulars at the pool table while waiting for our food to show up. I remember one summer there Adam AKA Peter Frampton stole my girlfriend but Virginia wasted no time finding me another one that’s right meet Virginia.

I remember the cruise as well, Smiley Heinekens, gambling, disco dancing, winning the diving contest on board the ship, Barbados, Puerto Rico definitely some of my favorite places and my mom buying me a gold necklace in St. Tomas that had a quarter moon with a smiley face. I remember so much more but I am sworn to secrecy by my girl cousins who most of them can still kick my butt lol,!! But the thing I remember more than anything about all of these vacations was the hugs. Nobody gave hugs like all the women in our family and it all started with Grandma I can’t wait to feel her hugs again, I am so fortunate that she passed that amazing trait on to every one of the girls in our family. No matter where we went what we did what we saw the best part was just hearing the laughter, feeling the hugs, and knowing the missing would never feel less between the next time we all came together again. We really were like one big family not separate families all coming together. That is just how Grandma wanted it;-)