Family Reunion

It all started with the 'Great Eight'! My Mom is the youngest of 8. There are 4 girls and 4 boys. And they are close very close. I could make this one of the longest blogs ever if I were to go back into my childhood and describe how close this family is. There are 27 first cousins 25 second cousins (2 of those are still in the belly waiting to join us) and 3 third cousins. And I can tell you every single one of their names.

Jason and I are both form the Danville area so we try and go home twice a year. Once in the summer so I can make it to our family get together. We all get together at my Uncle Carl's house. Which is pretty much a cabin out in the Illinois farm lands. Lot's of space for all of us to get together. Of course not every single one of us can make it but we get a pretty decent turn out.

Here is some high lights of the event. I just can't share all of them :) Believe me you just can't handle that much :)

We get to play some basketball.

Get to eat fabulous food. Remember Miss Erin? She made this pretty thing. No one would eat it at first and she couldn't understand why. I told her 'It's to pretty!' so she was the first to cut it and in no time it was all gone!!!

We get to swim!

And what do these ladies do in between meals? Plan the next meal of course!

Ah the 'Porch People' they rotate out every hour or so :)

Random people sitting in clumps and chit chatting!

Proof that I actually attend these things!!!

Cameron wanting to go home!!

The swapping of the 'Porch People'!

A heated game of Bocce Ball. I can't begin to tell you the amount of blood and tears that have been shed on this field!!

Do you recognize any of the same 'Porch People'? They rotate around pretty fast!!

I am not sure how this pretty thing snuck in but this is my cousin Miss Natalie. Not that I didn't want to share her pretty face but I also wanted to show off the Pinata. Thanks to my cousins David and Laurie. The kids had a blast knocking it around but it was to dark when they did it and none of our pictures turned out. Does anyone remember the scene with Steve Martin in 'Parenthood' where he had to saw the Pinata in half? That almost happened here. The bugger was sturdy!!!

This is Miss Laurie and that beautiful bump in front of her is Molly who will be here soon to meet and greet all of us. But we enjoy this picture greatly because it appears she was climbing out early to be apart of the festivities!! That is actually Levi's hand waving 'hi' :)



Once again a big thanks to my cousin David who takes the time and effort to put together a small but fabulous fireworks show for everyone!! Cameron actually loved it!! All the kids old, young tall and short loved it!

Next Day-

Had to get a picture of these two boys hugging. 'You wanna hug it out?' is what Jason's shirt says. Jeff bought it for him while he was in Iraq.

And of course cards! There are always cards at our gatherings. They are playing Euchre right now. My favorite game. You know the one Jeff wouldn't let me play while visiting him? It wasn't much longer after this that Jeff and I were partners against our Uncle Larry and Uncle Carl. It doesn't matter that Jeff and I are in our 30's our Uncles were kind enough to remind us we were still just kids sitting at the adult table. We got spanked.

Well there it is high lights of this year Family Reunion at my Uncle Carl's. I sit here waiting with excitement to go next year!!!