I love Memorial Day weekend every year. My aunt and uncle host a family reunion of sorts every Saturday before the holiday. They bought the house and land where my maternal grandparents lived. Then they bought the land next to it. Then they built a pond between the two. (They were very busy people.) I don't know of many more peaceful place in the world. There is this wonderful old barn where the walls have been replaced with screens near the home they built. I'm sure it was my aunt's idea to hang a bed from the ceiling - she is so creative. I have never even sat down on it because I know I would immediately want to take a nap.
Any way, they host us all...there are 11 grandchildren in my generation. 21 (with one on the way) make up the next. 7 "adults" comprise my mom's siblings and spouses....with the occasional other family members that show up, we have quite the crowd.
The food is awesome and the kids have so much fun. There's the pond with pedal boat (or is that paddle?). There's usually some kind of pick up game of something if not several things. Then there are all kind of water things to play with and finally there are the zip lines. My guys love the zip lines.
This year, though, it seemed to be Christopher who was really into it. After trying heroically to get the handle to the platform (only to see it slide away as he climbed up onto said platform), an adult went to help.
The orange shirt is my brother's son. I just adore him - love, love, love getting my Bear hugs from him when I see him. (Although this time, I did have to ask twice. I guess they all get to that age at some point.) Red shirt is my cousins son - brother of the cyclist.
Photography friends, I know these aren't the best. You have to cut me a break. You could feel the water in the air and the lighting was just impossible. Use your imagination - certainly, it's good enough that you can imagine Tarzan.
This year I saw him do something I had never seen. He put his feet up with his hands. You can imagine what horrible thoughts were going through my mind. (At that moment, it was not that I had found the missing link or how much he looks like a monkey. More akin to "I wonder exactly how far is the hospital from here.")
I should have cropped and exported at a higher quality but, you know that I'm just getting back into the swing of things. It was either bang this out or wait days to have time to do all that editing....regardless, this was a look of sheer jubilation. Throwing his head back with absolute glee. Oh, to be eight again.
Thanks, Aunt Pat and Uncle D-
