Group Photos

Here is our group photo. We had a wonderful turn out for our family reunion this year - 35 people. We missed those who couldn't join us and hope they will in 2013.

Our family has a history of the group photos taking a LONG time and being a painful process. The past few reunions I have tried to take charge and make it less painful - limiting the family to one good digital camera with the promise of providing the digital picture to everyone. I think it has worked pretty well. But this year was still a little painful because the morning for pictures was sweltering hot and humid. All's well that ends.

Here is our family photo which was close to the very end and my kids were not cooperative. We had family pictures taken three times this summer and didn't get one decent shot of the family. I guess we have to try again this fall.

Little Helper and Siblings

My dad is on the far right. He is with his two siblings. It is rare to get a picture of just the three of them together.
My kids are used to being the youngest kids at family gatherings, but no more. My cousins have started having kids. At my family reunion in North Carolina there were four little ones younger than Sabrina. Isabella was in heaven. She spent many hours playing with and walking with these toddlers. She actually left the beach early a couple of times to go help with these cute toddlers.

Carrollton, Georgia

Another bonus of traveling the southern route was our accomodations the second night. Brett's cousin and wife live in Carrollton, Georgia - just 15 miles south of I-20. Brett has taken a number of camping trips with Dan. The first time I met Brooke was during one of those trips. Brett and Dan went camping for a week and Brooke stayed at our townhouse with me - good thing we get along fabulously!!

We arrived at their house late in the day (or early in the night ;-). Brooke & Dan still had an awesome dinner waiting for us. Their house is so filled with toys that the kids, given the choice of anywhere, have declared that they want to go to Brooke & Dan's house for vacation next summer. It was so awesome to visit them and see where they live. Normally, we only get to hang out with Brooke & Dan if our trips to Indiana coincide. Thanks for putting us up for the night!

Ft Smith Arkansas

After lunch in Amarillo, we drove to Fort Smith, Arkansas. The kids only have one requirement for a hotel - a POOL! The first hotel we went to in Fort Smith (at 9pm) had an outdoor pool. We drove a couple of blocks and found a sweet deal. A Courtyard by Marriot with an indoor pool and an awesome military rate. The kids had a fabulous time in the pool and jumping on the beds. At this point, I think they would have been happy to stay at the hotel for a few more days.

Day #1 of the road trip

Brett asked to drive a more southern route to North Carolina. He has driven I-70 many, many times between Indiana and Colorado and Brett got to check off two states that he had never stepped foot into.

I was happy to oblige. The first reason I was agreeable is because the southern route meant we would drive through Amarillo, Texas where my good friend lives. We met my friend and her family for lunch at a cool bar-b-que place. This is a picture of all of our kids. I was SO thrilled to get to meet her younger daughter for the first time and see my friend . . . if only it could have been a longer visit!

"normal" evening by the pond

We were gone for so long and I'm overwhelmed with the number of pictures I took. I'm going to simply post one picture a day to cover most of what we did.

Here is how the kids were occupied our last night in Indiana. The snake was swimming across the pond. Then it was shot by one of my nephews and my father-in-law. Then they proceeded to dissect it.

Last Day of 2009 - 2010 School Year

First Day
Last Day

First Day

Last Day

First Day

Day after his last day, but he's wearing the same clothes as he wore to the last day of school. He likes to sleep in his clothes these days.

Taken around the first day of school for the other kids.

Taken on the last day of school. She was reading Green Eggs and Ham which happens to be her FAVORITE book. I tried to video tape her reading it, but she saw me and stopped reading.