Family, It's what We Do in Summer

Maybe it's the music coming from my computer as I edit these Family Reunion photos...maybe it's the cloudy grey skies outside threatening rain...maybe it's that school starts this week...or maybe it's the knowledge that summer is winding down too quickly; but something has me in a melancholy reflective state of mind.

Family reunions...they are a guaranteed part of summer activities whether we like them or not. We recently had reunion parties on back to back weekends with Dean's family and my own. These photographs remind me how much emotion, chaos and fun we have with our families...so many things to love.

 I love that we celebrated Grandpa Owen's 83rd birthday and had him pose with a bunch of his Great Grandchildren. Unni and Gramps gave each of them a Mickey Mouse.

 I love that Uncle Chet stopped to tie his nephew's shoe before helping him down the backyard slide.

Unni HATES having her photo taken...which makes me so happy to have this one of her smiling with her arms around her sweetheart.

I love that the men of Dean's family had the rare opportunity to be photographed with their Native American brother who was in town. Who incidentally put up with way to many hand raised "How!" references.

And speaking of rare...look at the post hiking beard the hubby is still sporting. I imagine these two grown men were up to no good when they were little men.

I love that Olivia and Henry will finally actually hold still long enough that I can photograph them looking at the camera...and Grandpa Owen doesn't!

 I adore how Grandpa choked up with emotion as he posed with his youngest grandchild Chet.

 Baby Levi, who might be the chubbiest, happiest baby I know...lights up his grandma's eyes like no one else can.

 I love how families are changing. John and Annette's has grown

with the addition of wonderful in-law children...

and a new little red-headed one.

Switching sides of the family now...but not the sentiment. We marked what would have been my Grandmother's 101st birthday with a Fredrickson family reunion. My Grandma Kay died a few years ago...but we use the date as the opportunity to gather and remind us from where we came.

As crazy as this was...I love that my mother's best friend from high school came to perform as a clown at our family reunion.

This was just after my brother Blair sent a text to Dean sitting in the seat next to him..."I wish that clown could make me disappear!"

 I love that Clown Miriam showed the kids how to blow bubbles...

 and the teenage girls were thinking this clown is nuts!

 Brown eyes run deep in my family...almost black. I love that baby Cohen has the most expressive faces anchored by those big brown eyes.

 Cousin power...

 I love how it moves from generation to generation never losing it's force!

Katie Scarlet...we already know how much I adore her! Look how she adores that rice-krispie-chocolate thing she is lusting after.

And I love, love, love...that no matter when I see my brother, he is proudly wearing his yellow Jiggy bracelet and tells me how much he misses my daughter.

 When Cohen's mama wasn't looking, I love that Dean fed him a cupcake...

 and Cohen slurped up every sugary morsel!

I noticed Thing 1 and Thing 2 running around and then found mischievous Thing 3, but was thrilled when I finally discovered that my cousin had a Thing 4!

Able to dead lift over 355 pounds, my niece Chalise is so buff. I am impressed that she and hubby Chris competed in a Cross Fit competition just before the party.

 I love that my brother is always the king of the ruckus, throwing water balloons at his grandson...

 and then running away as fast as he can.

Following the water fight, I love that my beautiful niece asked if I would take a photo of her and her hubby of seven years...and I captured this one!

 See what I mean about those gorgeous deep brown eyes...they are everywhere!

Suntanned faces will soon start to fade into winter pale. But the memories of great family moments like these will never fade. Family...it's what life is all about, isn't it?