A couple of weeks ago, we returned home from a super time with my husband's extended family in Wisconsin. Among the many highlights of our family reunion (great food, a warm loving circle around the fire ring after sunset, spending extended time together), were the times on the water at one family's cottage on a lake in the Fox River chain of lakes. 
The reunion planning began with a suggestion from one of our wonderful daughters-in-law. Although many of my husband's family members live in or near central Wisconsin, we and our two sons and their wives are the exception, living in Florida and Georgia. Thus, it has been difficult for the daughters-in-law to get to know our son's extended family. Ashley and Sumry treasured the time with my family in the Smoky Mountains last summer (my family is quite spread out over a number of states) and one suggested a family reunion with Mark's family. They were excited to have several days to grow closer to all their husbands' extended family members, one bunch each summer.
I intentionally chose photos that don't show faces clearly as the purpose of this blog has never been to reveal family details. I hope you can still see the family love and joy as we play. The sunset photos show our wonderful "kids". Both our sons were thrilled to get up on water skis (it's been many years since their last time) and to have successful runs, one on a slalom ski and one on two skis. Irma, the wonder dog (seen in the tubing photo of hubby, a brother, and a third, unseen reveler) served as primary spotter (backed up by a human assistant). She knows all the signals skiers and tubers use and barked the news to the skipper every time.
Mark and I have enjoyed many family times in Wisconsin, but this year was even richer and more precious because it was the first time in many years that our sons were able to join us and the first time ever for our sweet "daughters". Absolutely priceless!
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looking forward to my family reunion this coming Christmas. your post warmed my heart. :)
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thanks for your compliments and kind words. it's always a joy seeing your mark in my blog.
This looks such a fabulous time, Mary. Wish I'd have known you were up this way...Maybe we could have met for lunch or something. Anyway, love the dog's excitement for the tubers and skiers!!
ReplyDeleteFamily gatherings aren't so fun for me anymore unless it is just getting together with my own kids and grandkids. My siblings are just too into alcoholism to make it fun anymore. It hurts to see them killing themselves and to fight and be mean to each of us. I've tended to stay away more and more and so have my own kids. They don't like to see it either.
Great to hear from you, Cher! I'm glad you liked the post and glad you have a family reunion to look forward to.
ReplyDeleteI would love to meet you in person someday, Sherry. For this visit, we flew over you--that long drive just isn't much fun anymore :>).
My heart hurts for you to have such a difficult family. It's good that you are strong enough to just stay away more. You, your husband, and your own kids (and the sweet grands) are the loving, supportive family group for you, and I am so glad they are there for you (and you for them).
I like going to beach and going swimming. And going swimming and a swimming pool. I have not gone to the beach all summer. I hope when we have some cool weather. Someone will take me to the beach. So i can fly my new kite. No one in my family has takeing me to fly my kite because they are always busy. Last night i made wish on a star. I hope get to go fly my new kite. That i have not got to go fly yet. I hope my wish will come true. And i can go fly my kite on the beach . When it getes cool.
ReplyDeleteHow nice. That part is "lakes" Wisc. is a wonderful area and the fishing is great. I wonder if by chance you drove through parts of the Upper Midwest where the drought hit. Very sad with crops destroyed. My sons family live in the awful desert of Arizona 1,200 miles away. But, atl least, they have good jobs...:)
ReplyDeleteI like going to the beach, too. Thank you for your comment.
ReplyDeleteHey TB, great to hear from you! No, we didn't drive this time--flew straight into Appleton (much nicer than the 3 day drive). However, even though recent rains in the area we visited have "greened up" the fields and yards, the crops are stunted there too and will not be able to catch up.
Yes, this chain of lakes is wonderful, and we enjoyed some of the yummy results of Mark's brother's expert fishing. If you can believe it, Irma the Wonder Dog, watches bobbers on the rods on a rack at the end of the dock, barks when they move, and jumps in to fetch the fish when she gets a go-ahead with a surprisingly soft mouth (especially surprising given how much she likes fish). Any invasive fish caught that are not good to eat (which they are not supposed to throw back in) go to her as a reward. The fishing dog entertained us all -- when she was not occupied with the serious task of spotting for skiers and tubers.
Yalles family reunion lookes like yall had a very good time. I have a lot of cousin. Some of my cousin i know. And some of my cousin i don't know. I wish me and my cousin would have a family reunion. We was going to have a cousin family reunion. But we did not have our cousin family reunion. I would like to get to know the rest of ny cousin. please pray that i will get to know the rest of my cousin i don't know. Maybe sometime my wish will come true. All my cousin will have a cousin family reunion.
ReplyDeleteI understand your hope to have a cousins family reunion, Anon. Last year was the first year we had a reunion of my extended family (since my parents died and the "older" generation no longer gathered us all), and this year the first for my husband's. I hope your wish comes true.
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