Family Reunion

Scotty's mom is from a large family; over the course of grandpa and grandma's 60 years of marriage there have been added kids, grandkids and great grand kids galore!  Every other year they have a family reunion.  So last weekend we did a near 1,400 mile roundtrip to join in on the festivities and reconnect with aunts, uncles and cousins.  There was a lot of drive time, but it was worth it.  Scotty's mom reminded me "the joy is in the journey" so we took every opportunity to enjoy not only the reunion but the trek to and from our destination.

First night - hotel stay
half way to the reunion

Amber's first hotel stay, and the other kids are jazzed too.

Exerting energy in the hotel pool before we hit the road again

Conserving energy.

Beautiful midwest!

Made it to the reunion...

...First event: bowling!

First thing on a new day: pictures!  Chalk and bubbles to
keep kids occupied in between family photo shoots.

G'pa and G'ma with biological grandkids, great grandkids
and 1 great-great grandkid (not even all of them)!

"Wearing" Amber :-)

Pictures are done - now let's PLAY!  (Potato/spoon relay)

Sharing snacks with 2nd cousins (or would that be
1st cousin once removed or 3rd cousins or???) ;-)

Noah chillaxing with Scotty's mom and dad.

One more bottle before we had to hit the road again.

The 2 that started it all!  We love you, grandpa and grandma!

T-i-r-e-d boy after a full day of play!  Almost to the hotel...

Watching a train from the hotel window the next morning.

Last stop before home - daddy found
a vending machine with a chocolate
ice cream sandwich - yum! *

*Micah's not pictured because he's staying at Scotty's parents for the week.  Fun, fun!