RAGNAR RELAY!!
Ragnar Relay is a 187 mile running relay where a team of 12 runners run 36 segments. Each runner runs three specified legs. There are several throughout the United States. Late last year Dan and Erin decided it would be a good thing to have the family run in the Wasatch Back, which runs from Logan, Utah to Park City Utah. They recruited, cajoled, threatened and blackmailed until the family produced two 12 man teams. The first team, in their order of runners was Sunny, Bailey, Bo, Zack Olsen (Bailey's fiance), Valerie Bennion, Keen, Kristi, Ted, Dan, Chuck, Erin and Mary. The second team was Debbie, Roque, Candice, Mike, Doug, Spence, Donita, Tiffany, Ann, Clarissa, Kai and Kylie Warburton.
Dan and Erin arranged for the family to rent a cabin at Bear Lake, Utah, and on Wednesday June 17, the Bennion family invaded the place.
Hannah and her cousins enjoyed a game of volleyball.
Samuel only had eyes for his mom.
There was plenty to do, including ping pong, pool, football and card games.
Chuck or Ted?
On Wednesday evening Dan gathered the family to explain the rules of the race. He also revealed the meaning of the team names: Germania and Germania II. All of Grandfather's kids have fond memories of skiing with him. One of favorite places was Alta Ski Resort. I think most of us had at least one experience of riding up on a chair lift and having him tell us that when he was 80 he planned on having us take him skiing on his favorite lift, Germania. Grandfather would only be 74 if he were still alive, but Dan felt that he would have loved to see us all participating in this long run together. He loved the outdoors and loved to run, and Germania was a symbol of his enthusiasm for family and the outdoors. Dan gave out shirts with the Germania name and a drawing of a stick figure skier. You'll see it in some of the last photos below.
Can you guess which twin is which?
William and Zane discovered worms.
THE RELAY BEGINS!
Chuck had the camera, and he was in Van 2 of the first team. Above is team Germania before their 12:45 p.m start.
Dan and Ted work on getting the van decorated.
Sunny gets ready to start us off.
Bailey looks good on the second leg, with Sunny encouraging her.
The farm fields probably haven't quite seen the likes of Bo. With his speedo, black socks and straw hat, Bo was definitely a sight to see.
The looks on people's faces in the background should make you smile. Zack was a real trooper. He plays football for Southern Utah, so it was difficult to turn down Dan--his strength and conditioning coach. Zack did great. Because of the nature of the race we had to go on to the major transition from Van 1 to Van 2, so I wasn't able to get any pictures of Valerie running. Sorry Val!
Keen made sure the transitions were anything but dull.
Kristi was running strong.
Ted had a hard time getting away from the Paparazzi.
A family the runs together stays together.
Dan was a beast on his runs, and quite the specimen.
Chuck gets ready for Dan to hand-off. This one was all business, no fiddling with the baton.
Mary gives Chuck some much-needed water.
Erin's first leg was a killer uphill climb. She just motored up the thing and made it look effortless. I think we lost count of how many people she passed.
Mary is ranked in the top 100 girls nationally in the 1500 and 3000 meters run. Needless to say, we were very excited to have her on our team. When she started her first leg, which was mostly steep hills, people literally gasped at her speed. Some even called out for her to slow down. She never did.
Sunny looks pretty cool glowing in her night vest as Mary gets ready to hand the baton back to Van 1.
Tif's team, Germania II, started at 9:15 a.m. on Friday, while Chuck's team, Germania started at 12:45 p.m. So it was Germania's goal to catch Germania II by the end of the race. Chuck's Van 2 met up with Tif's van right before Tif's run at about 1:30 a.m. Saturday morning, while Van 1 was still running. Germania II did a great job of holding off Germania, it wasn't until Kristi ran leg 30. Kristi gave Tiffany a hug as she passed her.
Mary's face says it all as she gives the baton to Sunny. Mary had just finished her second leg, and Sunny was beginning her third and final leg.
Each Ragnar Relay has one leg that is considered the toughest leg, they call it the Ragnar Leg. In this race the toughest leg was a four mile run with almost a 1,700 elevation gain. Chuck ended up with this leg on his team, and it was a real bear.
Dan and Ted console Chuck after the Ragnar Leg.
"Raise your hands Maurice! Its more fun when you raise your hands like this!"
Erin's last leg was literally in the clouds.
Dan waits for Erin to come by.
Out of a total of 671 teams, Germania finished 59 with a time of 26:40:55. In their division, co-ed open, the team finished 14 out of 331. If they had competed in the men's only division, they would have finished 32 out of 160. Not too shabby!
Germania Van 1
Germania Van 2
Germania 2 rolled in at around 5 p.m., but the weather had turned into winds and rain, so we took our pictures and got out of there.
On our way out of Bear Lake we took this picture of the beautiful Logan Temple. What a great symbol of our family reunion to remind us that families can be eternal.
Thanks to everyone for making this such a memorable and fun reunion. We are even planning on putting together a team for the Las Vegas Ragnar Relay in October. See you then!
We have a plant out front that miraculously has stayed alive. I don't remember when it was planted but, we have planted almost right on top of it. Recently it started blooming again and immediately our romantic little man noticed and began picking all of the flowers. The first day he was so excited. He said, "Look Mom a flower." Then he picked it and gave it to me and told me he loved me and told me to wear it in my hair. When it just kept falling out I left it on the counter. He noticed and brought it right to me. I explained it was not going to last because it was picked. He said, "I know what to do." He ran and got a bowl of water and put the flower in it. This is now a regular thing for him. The picture above was the flowers he picked for me and his sisters. I love it. 
The Fourth of July generally means our family is in Provo with the Densleys, and this year we were there again. It was our fifth trip to Provo in the past six weeks, as if we needed to get any better acquainted with I-15! We had a fantastic time, as always.
Grandma Taylors and most of the kids, Collen with Steve, Lisa, Richard and Diane, and Doug.
Amanda got the rare chance to ride with Grandpa in the parade. She was her own beauty queen.
Chillin' Charles
An Ace in the hole
Steve and Heather
Amanda and April
CANNONBALL!
Charles had to get a lot of air under his jumper to get one over Stephen in a scrimmage.
We spent a lot of time with Charles' good friend, Carter Olsen. Here is is with his younger brother Mitchell. Charles, Stephen, Carter and Mitchell all walked away with camp champion t-shirts for winning a camp competition.
Stephen enjoyed his first Tabernacle Choir performance.
After five years, Charles was finally able to pass the Sacrament to the other campers at the Assembly Hall.
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