Family Reunion

My mom's side of the family all headed down to Branson, MO for a family reunion the 3rd week of June. We had family from Branson, Colorado, Maryland, Kansas, and us from Chicago. In total there were 38 people ranging from 60's to age 5. We stayed at various places; cabins, uncle's house, and at the boat house. We spent most of the days at the boat dock; swimming, tubing, skiing, fishing, and hanging around the lake with a beer in one hand. The rest of the time was go-carting, laser tag, miniature golf, and games on the strip. And of course: Shopping!! The coach store was just calling my name!!! No matter where we were we managed to get most of the 38 of us together, even for a full night of go carting/games, and it was great to be able to sit and talk with everyone. We took family pictures the first day and once I get those I will post them. The plan was to start having these family reunions more often, I really hope we do, it was amazing to see everyone. We all had a blast!
Here are some highlights and pics..more to come I am sure!
Hadley swimming! She was so scared to go swimming. She told me she wasn't going to swim, "Mom, there are sharks in the water." I told her there weren't, but she was adamant. The first day she got in with a toddler type life jacket and it did okay, until her and mom flipped on our raft..and down we went..I had Hadley in one hand and my beer in the other..and I saved both!! Yes, you heard me..I saved both! Now I would have let go of the beer, but my instinct was to grasp all things in my hand when we flipped, I just happened to always have a beer in my hand. But the second day we put her in a regular life jacket, she is right on the edge of weight limit, she swam like a fish. It was able to fully keep her head above water and she LOVED it. She wouldn't get out and didn't want to stay near you (of course we made sure an adult was still right by her) She took the water gun sprayer and swam all day spraying everyone on the dock and in the water. The last day there at 10:00am, she went right to the end of the dock, got her life jacket on and got in the water!!
Hadley swimming at night time:



Hadley tubing and jet skiing: I went tubing with Hadley and the first day she went crazy over it! It was a large 3 seater due to us having so many people, and she sat in the middle. We went slow of course, a few slow turns, a few water splashes and a TON of laughs! The second day, well she witnessed a few of the wilder riders, a few wipe outs and large bumps, and she was a little scared. She still went but a much slower and shorter ride!! Her daddy took her on the jet ski, he was quite surprised I suggested it! He went very slow and took her on a short ride the first time, she was hooked! The second time he decided to go fast near mommy to scare her, not too fast, but fast enough that mommy said Daddy was cut off of riding Hadley around! But Hadley proved to be a little dare devil!


Hadley fishing: It was Hadley's first time fishing. She had been looking forward to this. Grandpa bought her a Barbie light up fishing pole and she was so excited about getting this. She even brought her a fishing hat (and then wouldn't wear it..of course!)Luckily the fish were biting like crazy! She caught one as soon as her pole hit the water..unlucky for Grandpa..he sat there for hours that weekend putting on worms and taking off fish. I think Hadley and the other kids caught more fish than him and Uncle Del! It was very precious for me to watch her fishing with Grandpa as it is a fond memory of mine as a child going fishing for perch with my dad and Grandpa, I am very happy Hadley will grow up with the same memory.


Jason's wipe out: No lake trip is complete without a wipe out on the tube. Jason, my brother Steve, and cousin Justin from Colorado were tubing, cousin Rob was driving. I think Rob had an agenda to wipe someone out!! They were close enough to the dock that we all were watching the guys and next thing you know..WIPE OUT! We saw the tube flip over and all three fall off. We watched, one head up, two, and then three. Then they didn't bounce back up on the tube or on the boat as fast as you normally do after a wipe out so we knew it was bad! They stayed in the water for a while and then all got in the boat. They were all very sore, Justin ended up with a bloody nose and they all ended up bruised the next day. Needless to say they were all done with tubing!

Other pics:
Hadley petting horse at Dixie Stampede:

Hadley and Sydney before riding go-carts:

Hadley riding rides while out shopping:

Plaque made by cousin Rob in honor of Grandparents and put on boat dock: