That's how many pictures I took in 24 hours this weekend! Hard to believe I know. But, when you have an annual ISU college reunion and lots of kids, it's not hard to get carried away. As one of Jeff's classmates pointed out we've been doing this for 17 years. I don't know that Jeff and I were at the first few, as he was still in vet school, but there aren't many we've missed. I didn't know any of these families at ISU, as Jeff and I had not even met. But, after all of these years, they are all good friends and I would miss not seeing them.

Weather was awesome this year so we didn't have to worry about anyone traveling. Fifteen-year old E. Plapp even got to drive all the way to Galina for some driving practice. The Van Roekel family brought their foreign exchange student for a new twist this year. And, for the first year in many, none of us were pregnant and didn't have to stay close to hospitals. Yes, we are a family-oriented bunch. Let's see, our kids range from 9 months (that's number 5 for the Franck family) to sophomore in college (oldest of two for the Frank family). One family couldn't make it as an aging parent isn't well. We, of course, missed them. Let's take a head count.

Kaisand 5
Plapp 5
Van Roekel 6 (plus 1 this year)
Frank 4
Franck 7
Wood 4 (couldn't make it this year)

Those are the core families and over the years a few others have come when they could make it. Everyone brings food and we rent a party room. We used to just meet in someone's room, but we outgrew that! There is lots of ag talk, as we have a dairy farmer, an organic farmer, a greenhouse owner/teacher, a vet, and some ag sales mixed in there. We've got 4-Hers in the group and I'm always ready and willing to help out with the quilting projects! But, more than anything, we enjoy catching up on what families have been up to and how the year since last has been.

It was a hard decision to narrow the 387 photos down to just a few...but here goes.

Goldie was extremely timid about getting into the water. It was on her own terms.


Virginia was always keeping an eye on the kids in the big pool.


In the kids pool there was a slide that was a frog's mouth. The kids loved sliding down the tongue. Virginia actually enjoyed standing on the steps more than anything. Here's Henry on one of many trips down.


In the big pool there was a big slide. I had so much fun taking pictures of EVERY family member coming down the slide. (At one time, all dozen people waiting in line were from our group! I was practicing my newly-learned skills of understanding the ISO settings on my camera. I could print an entire book of pictures of people coming down the slide, but this will always be my favorite. Virginia had put a pair of goggles from the V.R. family on and finally decided to go up the stair case with her dad.



I was pleased with how I was able to capture the action even when Jeff was by himself and going full speed.


Fruit, cheese, crackers, taco dip, scotcheroos, and homemade cookies were in the party room for all to enjoy before, during, and after we ordered pizza! Virginia felt the need to work off a little of the 2 scotcheroos, 2 cookies, and 1 licorice stick she ate. (She has her mother's sweettooth.) Not to name the cheese, crackers, pizza, and carrots sticks. And, don't you wish you could bend like that?


A game of Old Maid was lively between Caleb 4 (5 next week and also a HUGE John Deere fan), Henry 4 (5 in April), and Caleb's mom Joan, as Henry spilled his glass of rootbeer and Virginia ripped up the box that held the cards. (This picture shows the full glass of rootbeer prior to the spill! What was I thinking.)


Henry in the big pool. I love my camera for photos like this. I was in the baby pool with the girls, but was able to shoot across the pools and get this shot.


Joan and I were chuckling over taking so many photos of our kids, but realizing that our kids will not know what we look like since we are rarely in the photos. So, Joan was nice enough to try and take a picture of me and the girls. You can see they weren't too interested! But, thanks for trying Joan.


Then we tried to get Henry in a photo, but by this time he wasn't happy because we had just told him we were headed back to the room to get ready to leave. Could life be any sadder?


Another reunion has come and gone. Maybe we can have the summer outing at the Kaisand pond that we all talked about...between baling hay, baseball games, and county fairs.