We are just plain surviving June
and leaning on the promise of a much less busy July.
The silver lining of this chaos was our Birky reunion in Illinois.
All three kiddos, me, my parents...in a minivan...10 hours each way. No husband.
That wasn't on my bucket list.
BUT....the reunion....simply wonderful. Three days of such special time with family. When we gather, it reminds me of who I am and just how privileged I am to call these people family.
Is there some blog etiquette about number of pictures posted? I can't abide.
Thanks, Tina, for many of these awesome shots.
Mom has 6 siblings. She's the one picking on her little brother...
Our reunions are the kids and grandkids of these 6. About 2/3 of us made it this year...
My uncle built this epic tube slide. Black Thunder.
There was just the right amount of time to just plain hang out and breathe in each other's space. The familiarity of it all....being surrounded by fields, hearing the auntie's familiar laughter, slapping the mosquitoes, listening to some of the same stories as last time. Its all really really good therapy.
They spent some years in Puerto Rico as kids and make the most amazing Puerto Rican food ever. EVER.
Just in case we're not spoiled enough, let's throw in a chocolate fountain....
...and a water bounce house...
When a hailstorm came, everyone gathered in the shed, played games, cooked, and yelled above the din to continue conversation. So many people I love in the same room at once.
My uncle also built a waterslide. The pictures don't do this justice. Its long and has lots of river water rushing down it. Its on hydraulics, so all they have to do is push a button and you're off.
River and Eva rode it for hours.
Thank you, Birky family...
For a retreat from normal - to remember who we all are
- together and apart!
