Family Vacation/Reunion

My husband grew up on a farm in a fairly small town in eastern Washington called Moses Lake. We have not been there since my oldest son was just a baby. Most of his immediate family has since moved away, leaving just his grandmother and some aunts, uncles and cousins behind. However, this year, his grandma is celebrating her 90th birthday so everyone thought it would be the perfect time to gather the entire family together for a reunion/birthday party. It was a great idea because we all had such a good time. My kids have always lived in the city as have all their cousins, so it was quite a treat to spend several days on a farm. The day we arrived, Uncle Craig was working in his hay fields on his tractor. The kids were given the opportunity to ride on the tractor. They loved it. They also were able to ride on a motorcycle, feed the cows and chickens, and gather eggs. These were all such novelties to us "city folk"!! It was so nice to be able to let the kids just go out and play without having to watch their every move. They felt so free and unrestrained. By the end of each day, they would all be covered in dirt from head to toe and would really need a bath. They played hard and slept even harder!!

Once all the families had gathered, we had a family bbq and were able to catch up with cousins we hadn't seen in years. We are truly grateful to Aunt Kathy and Uncle Craig for opening up their home to all of us and for planning all of the meals and the birthday reception. Shayne's grandma now has 22 great-grandchildren. With all of the little kids, plus all of their parents and all of their parents, we had quite a crowd. It was amazing to look out and see all of that posterity in one place.

The following night, there was a reception held in honor of Grandma's 90th birthday. So many people came and we got to see just how many lives have been touched by this wonderful woman through the years. She looks amazing and I have no doubt that we will be gathering in the future to celebrate her 100th birthday.

Happy Birthday, Grandma. You are truly loved by so many!!