THE FAMILY REUNION

It was hot today.  It got up to 103*F (39.4*C).  And that was the air temperature.  Add in the humidity and it was over 110*F (43.3*C).  I wasn't going to go to the reunion.  But my cousin posted on facebook asking everyone to please come if only for an hour.  So I decided to go.  Originally they were going to meet from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. but because of the heat shortened it to 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Joe and I left around 11:30 a.m. and got stuck in traffic on I-95. We turned on the news station on the radio and found that there was a military funeral procession and that was what the holdup was.  Once we got past that exit, it began to move again.  But it still took us to after 1 p.m. to get there.

And what a time we had finding the place.  We went into the wrong entrance to the State Park and ended up driving on footpaths.  We stopped and asked a man how to get to the pavilion and he had no idea what we were talking about.

Fortunately my sister called at that point and told us we were on the wrong road.  Joe punched the address she gave us into the GPS and we took off again.  We found the park, but not the picnic grounds.  We drove around and found ourselves out on the highway again.  I drove a bit, found a place to make a U-turn and went back to the park.  But it was a different entrance and we were totally lost.

We finally found the park office and pulled into the parking lot there.  Joe went to see if he could find information of how to get where we wanted to be, but the office was closed.  I called my sister again and she came to get us.  She said it was a relief to get into an air conditioned car for some escape from the heat.

While we were waiting for her I got out of the car and took some pictures of the grounds.  It was so pretty.

And of course I got a picture of Joe.

We finally got there and went over to the picnic tables.  Several of my cousins came up to me and gave me hugs.  Elaine was there but none of my other siblings.  They came very late.  My sister Angela got a late start and she was the one driving.

Elaine and I were just going to the ladies room when they drove up.  My sweet niece Stephanie wanted to go too, so we headed over to the building.  Going down to it was treacherous for me, but climbing the hill to get back....  Well, let's just say I'm not in shape.  REALLY not in shape.  Whew!

It was so great to see all my brothers and sisters again.  The last time we were all together was my dad's funeral 17 years ago.  And Joe had never met some of them.

Me and my niece Stephanie (my sister Audrey's daughter).

My sisters Angela and Elaine.

My sister Angela and her husband Ray.

My sisters Audrey and Elaine.

My brother Henry.

Henry and Elaine.

My brother Ronald and Joe.

Ronald, Angela and Elaine.

My brother's girlfriend Lena, Henry and Ronald.

Ronald, Henry's girlfriend Lena and Elaine.

Elaine and Joe

Stephanie, Audrey and Elaine

My brother Joe and Stephanie

My dad's sister, Aunt Sis, and Elaine.

My nephew Chris (my sister Angela's son).  He's my only nephew.  All the other kids of his generation are girls.

A Good Humor truck came around and Audrey flagged it down.  A lot of people were buying ice cream and water ice.  Especially the kids.  Elaine too.

Elaine and Joe

Elaine, Joe and me.  My cousin's daughter has her back to the camera.

 I know this is kind of confusing but my brother Joe is not to be confused with my husband Joe.  It was kind of confusing to me!

A lot of my cousins were there.

My cousin Debbie and her husband Brian.  Debbie and I are a few months apart in age and grew up together.

My cousin Eddie and Joe

Elaine is pointing me out to Aunt Sis.  My cousin Chuck is beside her.

My cousin Butch next to his sister Debbie.

My cousin Eddie and his sweet daughter LeeAnn.

I had no idea who a lot of the people there were.  I asked my brother Henry.  He didn't know either.  "But we're related to them somehow," he said.  I said, "Can you imagine all of these people came from our grandparents?"  He replied, "They didn't go out much."  Ha, ha.

We were in a nice pavilion and if it hadn't been so hot, it would have been nice.

At one point Joe gave me his hat.  He said I looked better in it than he did and he gave it to me.  It is cuter on me than him.  *wink*

Finally around 4 p.m. we had had it.  It was just too hot and I was starting to feel sick.  So we headed home.  Elaine left an hour later and she said just about everyone was heading out.

That's our car back there and we were so happy to crank up the air conditioning as we headed home.

We went home a different way and it took a lot less time.  I was so glad that I had gone.  It was a fun time.

Kathy