Happy Days are HERE AGAIN...Family REunIoN TiMe!....Part 2

I wasn't able to get pictures of EVERYONE, BUT I got pictures of MOST of the family...

Lee enjoying a little R&R during the few hours of sunshine and warmth...

Carrie enjoying time to catch up and visit with family....

Stephen chatting with Aunt Saundra....

Dad sitting back enjoying his family surrounding him in the mountains, one of his favorite places to be!

Stephen and Macey having some dad and daughter time...

Aunt Saundra and Abri 

Calab and Abri listening to the stories being told.....MUST have been ONE

interesting story for sure!

Todd, Kayson, Dana and Kenron waiting for dinner to be ready....

Kenron smiling as he jumps up and down with the help of his mom...

We loved having Tammy and her boys come and camp with us this year....its

always fun to get to know all of them better!

The kids....doing what kids do...........

John and Sommer hanging out around the campfire....

We have had a "talent" show at the reunion for QUITE a few years....the kids 

look forward to it and practice their numbers for hours before they perform. Halle, Brittley, Abri and Alyssa all getting in costume for their crazy skit!

Uncle Tony and Aunt Jo love the mountains and the reunion!

Smiles from Ashley....

Tammy handing out mosquito repellant for those of us who were not prepared!

Kayson found a forever buddy! He sat on Uncle John's lap for a LONG TIME....

he doesn't do that for anyone. 

The 4 stooges in the middle of their skit....faces painted on their chins...

HILARIOUS!...you had to be there, it was THAT kind of skit!

Grandpa and Grandma enjoying the kids as they perform...

Kenron enjoying the talent show....

Aaron and Avery singing "Let it Go"....

Calab and his "hunchback"....

Everyone gathered around watching the talent show...

Scottie wondering "what is going on" with her bother....

It has been a FAMILY JOKE for many, many years about Grandma having a 

"yellow polka-dot bikini". She jokes all the time about embarrassing the kids

when she wore it....so this year she SHOCKED the entire family with her little skit 

IN her "YELLOW POLKADOT" Bikini (drawn on the board). She couldn't have

done a better job...it was HILARIOUS and there wasn't a dry eye in the crowd. EVERYONE

laughed until their sides hurt and tears were running down their cheeks!

Our family reunion may not be like yours, it may not be like any reunion you

have ever heard about...BUT WE LOVE IT! We have the time of our lives EVERY year

and always look forward to the next one. We have a fabulous family 

who can laugh at themselves as well as enjoy the seriousness of life as well!!

I love my crazy, wonderful family!!!

Happy Days are HERE AGAIN...Family REunIoN TiMe!....Part 1

Family reunions are always filled with great memories....BUT I like to think our family has some "pretty FABULOUS" memories from all of the many years of family gatherings. We ALWAYS have great laughs and good times no matter what it is we are doing or where we happen to be celebrating "family", on any particular year. This year we happened to be celebrating our fun, crazy family at the top of a mountain at the beautiful Avintaquin Campground. We were greeted with several of these RATHER LARGE un-welcomed pack-rats that lived in the restroom. I've never seen a rodent in the mouse family quite as LARGE as this (that wasn't a rat of course). He lived in the bathroom and felt it necessary to guard the commodes! I would have to say, he did a might fine job....there wasn't anyone that was willing to trespass to "do their business".....we all walked down the hill, through the fallen trees, over the brush and rocks to the OTHER bathroom......UNTIL one of the fury creatures took over that bathroom too.................!!!

We had a "shooting contest" while camping this year, those involved had 

the time of their lives!

Daniel Boon AKA Calab....and his trusty weapon

Camping with teens and their phones...Halle was thrilled that there was cell phone reception

at the top of the mountain!

Riley makes friends no matter where he goes....we will call him the "dog whisperer"...

Aunt Saundra made the trip all the way from Las Vegas to spend a few days in the 

mountain air...and RAIN!

Macey, and one of her many disguises...the "orange" sunglasses....

Kissing cousins....Calab's first girlfriend is a much older woman, Alex~

Papa Kay and Grandma Kathy enjoying some R&R.....the only way to do reunions!

Ashley NEVER stop smiling....she brings a little love where ever she goes

Kayden is also a great "dog sitter"....

"Smiley Riley"....

Day one of the reunion was a hit...everyone enjoyed some relaxing, campfire chatting and 

lots of laughs.......stay tuned for the "rest of the story....."

The LAST of the LAST's....sad day!

My baby is a senior this year!!! WHERE in the world has the time gone!??

It wasn't but yesterday that she turned 5 and was so excited to start kindergarten

and NOW, just one day later.......she is a MIGHTY SENIOR.

I've had mixed emotions about this day...I'm happy that she is healthy, 

and strong, and full of life! I am glad that she loves school and has 

goals that extend past her senior year. I'm grateful she is headed down

a path that will bring her happiness in this life, as well as the next. 

She has so many talents and abilities, I know she can do whatever

she sets her mind out to do!!!.....AND....

...I get sad when I think that she is our last one home. Everything we experience

with her in her senior year, will be the LAST TIME we will experience "senior year" too....

sure, everyone says we will get to experience it with grandkids, but thats entirely different!

HALLE is our youngest, and at times has been an only child at home. She 

said she doesn't remember much about her older siblings living under the same roof, 

and often has felt like an only child. She is fun to hang out with...we've been able to 

spend a lot of one on one time over the past couple of years, and I've really

gotten to know her better. I'm REALLY GOING to MISS her when she 

leaves for college in the fall....sometimes I cry now, just thinking about it! 

There are many days that I wished I could go back to this "1st day of Kindergarten"

and relive the past 12-13 years....they haven't been perfect, but they have been wonderful!

I miss the days of all my kids under my roof and all the fun times we had!

Newborns....GOD'S reminder to us that "LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL!"

Mike and Kim had Landry's "newborn" pictures taken a couple of weeks

ago...he completely melts my heart. I can't believe how tiny

he is and how perfect every little feature is.

This one picture is going to hang in my living room. He is 

like a little bundle of joy!

He has the sweetest little face, the cutest little curly hair and he warms

my heart every time he looks at me. He turns his head and looks toward my voice. He's a great little 

cuddle bug and he is a handsome little peanut, fresh from heaven!

OH HOW I LOVE THIS LITTLE MAN!!!

Summer Bucket List...Sunset at the Lake?...not quite~

I wanted to go sit at the lake and watch a sunset....never made it though, BUT

I saw the onset of a gorgeous sunset one night and headed up to the upper part of town, 

on top of a hill where you can see just about everything from there.

THE SUNSET DID NOT DISAPPOINT! I probably took over 100 shots of it because

it was just so breathtaking. There is nothing as beautiful as a sunrise or sunset...they are 

a gorgeous way to begin and end the day....

The colors were magnificent...ranging from bright flaming orange to

pinks and purples, depending on where you looked. I only wished they lasted longer than the VERY

few minutes that they do. So glad that I live where I can enjoy the beauty 

of the world! 

Summer Bucket List...Green Thumb....not so much!

One of my summer bucket list items was to plant an herb garden.

I thought if I planted it in pots I could bring the pots in when it got cool and 

have the herbs all winter too.....that would have worked just 

fine except........

they wouldn't grow!!! I planted basil, lavender, garlic chives, oregano, and something else (I can't remember what it was)....4 DIFFERENT TIMES and never even got a sprout. 

The garlic chives grew after I planted them 2x, but everything else did nothing. 

I guess I'm not an herb gardener.....BUT I  DID get these beautiful flowers to grow!

They decorated the deck perfectly. I vowed to try herbs ONE last time next spring and 

see if I can redeem myself~