Reunions!

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A family picnic from my childhood

A family picnic from my childhood

Reunions! Some people love them and some people dread them. Maybe it’s an age thing. When I was a kid I couldn’t wait. There would be all those kids so you could play games that you can’t play with two kids, like baseball or volleyball. (I was so bad at that!)

When I was a pre-teen it was cool to get all gussied up and strut your stuff. (Yes, I know I didn’t have any stuff but back then I was in denial!) Out came the blue eye shadow. My mother just rolled her eyes.

There’s a point in teenage years when it was “like whatever” (although secretly I always loved to see my aunts and uncles).

The adult years changed things. Now they expected me to chip in and help. Yikes! How did that happen? Now I had to help cook things? (I’ll bring the watermelon! What? That’s already taken? How about potato chips?)

Now that I’m older I really enjoy reunions. It’s an opportunity to visit with relatives you don’t see often.

Those kids that used to draw pictures with chalk in my driveway are sporting new beaus or are married with kids. (How did that happen? One even has a child that graduated from college!)

The reunion from 2008

The reunion from 2008

The best part is that I am not hosting this year. It’s at my niece’s house. She has a large yard with a screened porch, pool and canopy tents all over making it very comfortable. Her husband is a fabulous cook!

She also invites Mike (you know from Mike’s Hard Lemonade?). He’s a great addition to any picnic unless you invite Jose Cuervo (of the tequila fame).

There are a few “always” things that happen.

There’s always a surprise – sometimes it is engagements or pregnancies. One time it was cancer (we didn’t see that interloper sneak in).

There’s always too much food – way too much! We all pack like Armageddon will happen.

There’s always something new – new homes, new beaus, new hair color (yikes!).

Time always goes too fast – lickety split and it’s over for another year. (But I just got here! What do you mean I have to go home?)

And it’s always good for a blog post.

We will all sing with Sister Sledge….We are family….

36 thoughts on “Reunions!”

  1. Pingback: It’s reunion time again | Views and Mews by Coffee Kat

  2. I had to miss our last family reunion, and I felt such a loss. My parents are still living but not physically able to attend, but aunts and uncles now gone. I adore being with my cousins and we have the most to share, but it’s the younger ones coming up that warm my heart. Each time I see them, I think of our grandparents and “assorted” relatives no longer with us who would be so thrilled to see the family continues to gather. I LOVE your family photo. Lots of happy faces. Families are such a blessing!

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  3. We used to always have reunions at the old farm on 4th of July ( and I was so upset that I never got to go to the summer sales with friends) The red dirt stain white shorts and tennis shoes. But there was watermelon (which meant seed spitting contests) and fireworks (and we never got hurt or set anything on fire…but probably becasue uncles were there watching as well as tossing the firecrackers)
    As you say – we all pack waay too much food now.

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  4. love reunions! high school, family, YES!
    I’m right there, though, with what to bring. It’s difficult to transport food, usually someone’s called dibs on the watermelon, chips, buns. Have an awesome time, take some pics and let us know whatcha brought (so we can take the same to ours, hehehe) 🙂

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  5. Sounds like a perfect family reunion this year–a big yard, a screened porch, a husband who’s a good cook–and you don’t have to be the hostess. How nice that you have such a big family and regular reunions. My mom was an only child, so the reunions for her side of the family are smaller. We have irregular but fun reunions for my dad’s side.

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  7. I haven’t been to a reunion in several years but I always enjoyed them, more as a kid than an adult. I never saw the drama as a kid but all that changed as an adult..:)

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  10. I come from a pretty small family so we don’t have reunions. I love the idea, though and wish they were a thing for us too! I would especially enjoy seeing Mike… and Jose. Such nice additions to the family. You niece’s yard sounds perfect for the festivities.

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      • Our only reunions were weddings and funerals and now there’s just a few funerals. I’ve never been to a real reunion.

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        • For a while there were a lot of funerals. All of my aunts and uncles are gone. We (the cousins) are the old ones now. We had one funeral a few years back where we were so noisy we almost got thrown out of the restaurant. I sat with my favorite cousins and we got a little rowdy with the reminiscing. Many of my cousins are not as mobile anymore. I am the youngest of the cousins. I really miss those days.

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  12. “She also invites Mike (you know from Mike’s Hard Lemonade?). He’s a great addition to any picnic unless you invite Jose Cuervo (of the tequila fame).”

    Yes! Have a great time.

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    • Time goes so fast. When we moved in our home (which seems like yesterday) the neighbor kid was 8 years old. He’s in college now (and all hairy!). It’s like I can’t keep up.

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    • I didn’t get that either. Can’t figure out where it was. My uncle had reunions in a mowed meadow. It may have been my grandparent’s farm. I can see corn in the back. It’s from the 40s before I was born. Women back then (at least in our family) didn’t wear pants or shorts except for the younger ones. My mom was in her 60s when she got her first pants suit. My uncle is drinking a coke in the picture and my cousin next to him (with the pipe) looks like he’s drinking from a jelly glass.

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