2013 Family Reunion

It was fun to be had by all!  My family: 2 sisters, 1 brother-in-law, 2 children (both married), 2 nieces (1 married), 2 nephews (1 married, 1 engaged) and 1 GREAT nephew had a family reunion in NC.  Last time most of us was all together was 7 years ago at me and my sister's Dad and Mom's funeral in 2006.  A lot has changed in the 7 years...2 divorces, 3 marriages, 1 very recent engagement and the birth of a great nephew.

I have to say we had great eats, great laughs, wonderful conversations, getting to meet each other for the first time, meeting the newest soon to be addition and of course getting to celebrate the 1st birthday of the newest member of our family.  I was remembering past years of my family getting together for holidays, birthdays, vacations, hunting, summer fun, and sad times of past saying goodbye to family that have gone on.  I felt the whole long weekend that Dad & Mom was amongst us, laughing with us and enjoying their children, grandchildren and great grandchild having fun and making memories.

I took 245 pictures, mostly I have to say of my great nephew - he is the cutest little boy!  Such a happy boy, good nature and loves his Grammie, my sister.  Of course my sister just LOVES her grandchild!  So be prepared for a slew of pictures, not much commentary and see the love and fun we had.

   Getting ready for target practice and just having fun shooting guns

my daughter (in-law) Jessica in the fore ground and the newest soon to be niece, Krystal (just got engaged to my youngest nephew, Jesse.

My son, Grant watching...

His turn...

Grant and my niece, Corrie shooting at targets set up...

Don't know if you can see all of the targets that were set up.  There were 2 spinner targets set closer to the shooters, then a target when you hit it would go down, there were 3 and then you hit the far right one and it would re-set the other 3 up.  There were 2 metal targets set up way back, a turkey and ram (some of us thought it looked like an elephant) those were really hard to hit for some us and some of us not so much.

My brother-in-law, Rick - my sister Sandi's husband.  I think he was grinning the whole weekend!  Here he is shooting free hand with no rests or scope.

My daughter, Amanda

My son-in-law, Bryan - Amanda's husband...setting his sites.

Kyle, my niece Cassie's husband (my sister Sandi's daughter) and my son, Grant

Bryan, Ryan (my sister Sandi's son) and Jesse (my sister Leah June's son)

Grandpa Rick and my great nephew Levi - riding the 4 wheeler and having a blast!

Proud Daddy (Kyle) and Levi - Levi was not too happy to be done with his 4 wheeler ride and be taken out of his carrier.

Levi with his Grammie, my sister Sandi

Okay, now for Birthday pictures...there are a lot of them...just enjoy!

Levi with his Aunt Katie, Ryan's wife...

Rub-a-dub Levi in the wash tub...bubbles and toys...boy oh boy what could be better on a hot day?

Oh and we did have lots of good eats too.  We had the usual hot dogs, hot dog sauce, cole slaw, potato salad, chips, lots of beer, country slow boil (with potatoes, corn on the cob, sausage, shrimp, crab legs), taco salad, eggs, bacon, waffles, sausage gravy, biscuits, smoked pork loin, chickens and good appetites.

Kyle manned the hot dogs.  I have to say this was a fantastic family reunion.  We decided that we could do this every 2 years.  The only thing I am sorry about is that we did not get pictures of the nieces and nephews together, their spouses, a whole family picture and so on.  In 2 years we will get those pictures for sure.  It is so much fun to be together and in 2 years to see the changes in the family...hopefully more babies by then and with a marriage not to far off and then hopefully another one in the next few years - who knows what great things to come.  Dad & Mom I know you are proud of your clan.  We love the legacy you left us!!!!

if you want to see more pictures you can go to my son's blog at Warfield Family - est 2008.