Family Reunion....

Last week was the...

held at...

our families favorite spot.

Bear Lake of course!

It was perfect.

Except that Shelly's family wasn't there...

And Dan's wife Kayce didn't make it...

So that made it not quite so perfect.

This post packed with way more pictures than anyone not in my family wants to see is for you Sister!!

Love and miss you lots and lots!!

I may have mentioned this before.

But my parents are BOTH only children.

Which means my family of 7 siblings grew up with...

0 Aunts

0 Uncles

0 Cousins

Just some fabulous grandparents, a fondly remembered great aunt, and some distant cousins.

Fast forward 1 generation to my girls.

Who have 14 sets of aunts and uncles.

And a rough estimate of 55 1st cousins.

They will grow up more like Shane than me.

Meaning they will have someone introduce themselves to their "future" husbands as their "1st cousin".  That husband will then point out "said cousin".  To which they will reply, "I've never seen that person before in my entire life."

That has happened in our marriage... on MORE than one occasion!!

Totally foreign to me!

But no question they will know all of these cousins. :)

Jadyn has mastered the 2-wheeler yippee.

Which left her trail-a-bike available for these crazy girls!!

Who only crashed once.

There was fun at the pool.



And fun family moments playing "minute-to-win-it games".

Team "Rottnest Rebels" would like to make it know that they were the winners.

By a handy margin! :)

We just plain had fun playing together.

We stayed up til' 2 am all three nights playing heated games of "werewolves".

So were glad for a little bit of relaxation time here and there.

We were lucky that we were together to celebrate my momma's "big" 70th Birthday.

I think she had quite a pampering day with all the massages and kind acts that happened throughout the day.

Mom and Dad treated us to the dinner and show at Pickleville Playhouse.

A family favorite!

(And Tayler gave up her family reunion shirt to wear her...

I {heart} Bandito shirt!)

Upon leaving my momma was surprised and serenaded by the cast with a singing of "Happy Birthday".

There was chalk fun...

and bubbles...

and of course hours of "water-balloon launching."

With only a few casualties.

All of which may have "asked for it" just a wee bit!!

Like Asher who took one right to the chest in this next picture...

My girls participate.

But don't REALLY want them coming to them.

The little kids played in the water and handed out the balloons...

and certainly popped a good share of their own.

Grandma and Poppa stay at a safe distance.

Who am I kidding.

I stay at a safe distance too.

And "launched" zero balloons.

So that I wouldn't be the one to splat one right in my daughter's face like last year!

The launching was followed by a vicious water-balloon fight that I'm glad I was videoing instead of participating in.

I'm a wimp!

There is a "talent show".

I'm using the term very loosely.

My girls hate that I make them "prepare" their talents.

Everyone else's is pretty spur of the moment.

Like animal sounds from Dan that I still can't get out of my head.

And Andy's famous toe walking...  Just to name a few.

There was great food from all.

Enough good food that Jeff has challenged the entire family to a "family weight loss challenge."

I think it might have stemmed from the bacon-wrapped donuts Dan fed us one morning.

Or possiby that Andy broke this wooden chair?

Maybe??

There were simple moments I want to remember.

Like my daddy teaching my daughter how to load and fire her elastic gun. :)
A skill that will surely come in handy some day!

Thanks for providing a fabulous place for us all to stay mom and dad.

Thanks to Becky for heading it this year.

And thanks to all for having great attitudes and therefore making it a "drama free" long-weekend together.

Anyone with a "family" knows that in itself is a HUGE accomplishment!!