reunion

Gradually we picked up more and more people up at the lake until all 34 of us were there and the actual reunion began. That means two things: 1) 34 people create mayhem. It was pretty crazy…especially the meals, and 2) it was SO fun to be all together…to have time to really talk and to catch up. Oh man I love my family.
We were SO happy to have Dave back with us for a few days.
One of the days we hiked up to Bloomington Lake. The most gorgeous place up in the mountains…
…with a cool rope swing.…I think Max was the first in our group to give it a try.
The wild flowers are amazing up there.

These three cousins have been inseparable on this trip. They’ve been so cute together.
My sister was in charge of the reunion this year. Gunny sack races were a hit with the kids.
My sister who’s on a mission even joined in. (That’s her cardboard cutout on the right.)
Max and Grace couldn’t get enough of water skiing. Well, Max was more about the wakeboard.Man he loves that thing! He got to go early morning with his uncles one morning and was in Heaven about that. I’m so thankful for my brothers who are like his big brothers he never had.
Grace was pretty darn proud of herself too. Inspired by her cousin she got up the confidence to ski all over the whole lake. Over and over and over again.
Just like this. Maybe next year she’ll dare to straighten her legs more.
She and Max skied together a bunch too, but this is the only picture I got gosh darn it.
And Dave and I, in a moment of sheer amazing parenting, forced Elle out of the boat in the middle of the lake on a choppy day and made her ski. Are we mean or what? She totally knows how to get up but was refusing to do it this year. We figured she’d have so much fun if she’d just try it again.We were wrong. Hmmm. I hope she’s not scarred for life because of her mean parents.

This was the mode of transportation from one house to the next.
Grace and her best friend/cousin:
Family pictures.
I personally like this one the best. It so typifies life with our darling Lucy.
I love these nephews:I’m glad I’m pulling the weight on having the granddaughters because there sure are a lot of boys around. Maybe that’s why I can’t get enough of them. I wish I could steal one.I love this place. I love how the clouds look there.
My brothers are pretty entertaining tennis players.My Dad is always trying to teach us all something any chance he gets.
It was pretty rare when we didn’t have a batch of cookies in the works.
Feeding the horses was another big hit with the kids.
They hold up the oats.
The horses come running.
Lucy especially loved this.
Hmmm. Maybe we better get a dog AND a horse. Especially now that Lilly is missing…