Ok, I couldnt head into the weekend with a grumpy post as my last, especially because this weekend is my favorite event of the year. I mean, I love this more than Christmas, and that is saying something! This weekend my mom's side of the family will gather in VA Beach for our annual family reunion. This year there will be 27 of us, only 4 people missing, which is pretty great. Oh, and did I mention its only my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins? Thats right, no extended family...my mom is one of 5 kids so there are alot of us, and I love it!
The emails on the family listserv have been flying back and forth alternating coordinating arrivals and departures as well as lobbing joking insults, most involving my uncle's favorite family reunion tshirt...an OLD OLD (like 20 yrs old) armani exchange wife beater tank top that is holey and faded. Its become a staple at the reunion and it will be a sad day when it has to be retired, welllll not that sad :)
Family reunions always involve a lot A LOT of food including the fresh venison (deer, elk and moose) my Uncle Kevin hunts, a keg (cause its way more economical than cans or bottles for that many people), and PT (thats physical training). With a cousin in the marines, and uncle and cousin in the navy seals and a grandfather who was Army, not a family event goes by when there isnt some form of physical training; last year was kettle bells (the same workout the guys in the movie 300 did), the year before was a run and there are always some pull up competitions mixed in there. Now I know this sounds crazy, and its not mandatory, and most of the women just let the guys do their thing, but it is an official unofficial part of the celebrations and I love it. Not to mention, my cousin (the Marine) just got home last weekend from his 3rd tour in Iraq. We have alot to celebrate.
Another tradition is birthday celebrations. In our family we have two birthday heavy months, August and November. Because the reunion is always in August we have a big cake for all the Leos/Virgos including my cousin, my brother, two uncles, a cousin-in-law, and me. I hope its an ice cream cake this year!
We are also taking Aidan to the beach for the first time and I just KNOW he's going to try to eat the sand. But his beach loving father is so stoked for getting Aidan acquainted with all things beachy and I'm pretty excited to get a little tan (florescent lighting is not good for the summer complexion).
So we're set to head out tonight after dinner and after Aidan's bath. Its a 5.5 hr drive and we're hoping to time our departure with Aidan's bed time so he'll sleep the whole way there (please say a prayer! :). Pictures coming on monday of all the festivities! Have a wonderful weekend!!
3 comments:
I know you're going to have so much fun! And yes, there will definitely be some sand eating involved...consider it good texture for teething gums...at least that's how I rationalized it:0)
If you just can't seem to make it down or back, let me know--we're always available for (cute) house guests!
Good luck with the drive. We're major proponents of the late night/bedtime drive too.
PLEASE STOP IN DC--please please!! on the way back or the way there!! I can loan you a suuuuiiiit.
Oh man, so much fun to see both of you, but we're heading down rt. 13 which cuts over an hour off of the 95 time (and no 95 traffic). I promise to be in dc at least at the end of august and will be in the richmond area in the fall.
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