So my camera is absolutely broken, and despite RadioShack advertising a very enticing price for the same model, and despite us traveling all the way to this very location specific RadioShack where it stated online that said camera was residing, guess what? It wasn't there, and sorry, their website isn't updated very often. Well. Imagine our feelings on that.

Anyhoo, long story short, I won't be having any pictures for a bit. Ebay came through and one is being shipped, but it will be a few days at least.

Saturday, before the RadioShack debacle, we met with April and her husband Gregg, and their loverly boys Gibson and Grady at Willis D. Tucker park for some spray pad fun. Even at 9:45, the time we met, it was warm and by the time the water came on at 10 it was perfect for splashing. We stayed till about noon, then went to La Palmera with the "G's" for lunch. 5 kids, 4 adults, mexican food, numerous bathroom trips (potty training is fun) and mess and guess what? We actually enjoyed ourselves, which proves that Gregg and April are good folk because believe me, it could have been rough.

Its been hot and very humid, which will wilt any native Washingtonian. We ain't built for this stuff. The fans don't seem to move the heavy air nearly enough to provide relief.

Today, I got up very early to bake two items for our Likkel family reunion in the afternoon before it got warm. Unfortunately, everyone else got up when I did so our day started a bit rougher and earlier than I generally enjoy. We had a great time at the reunion and there were so many people there (I think I heard my Mom say 75 or so). It was not only a reunion, but a celebration of my great-Aunt Dellis and Uncle Bob's 60th wedding anniversary. Wow. Of course, lots of nummy food was available, and it was so good to touch base with people that we pretty much see once a year.

I'll tell you something. When I was a kid, I viewed the family reunions with some boredom. They were long, they were full of adults talking about things I didn't know or care about and I was forced to play with kids I didn't know. As a young adult, it was easy for me to just skip the reunions because I was a busy person! I had so much going on! How could I drive the 45 minutes! I'm important, things to do, things to do! As a regular adult (not a young, but not an old one either), I'm starting to really and fully appreciate the significance of these get togethers. The multi-generational aspect. The reminiscing. The story-telling, teasing, and familiar faces. Its good to see my great-Uncle Berk or my Uncle Brad (not really an uncle, but that's what we've always called him) because they bear striking resemblance to my beloved Grandpa in their faces. And I can see him in so many others, in the way they talk and move their hands, and their postures and that is so good to see because I don't want to forget those things.

Point is, these people, these people that I see once or maybe twice a year, whose name I may not remember (but the face I do!), these people would support me, and I them. They would house, clothe and feed me and mine at the drop of the hat, for any reason. They would get down and pray for me. They would give me the shirt off their backs. And I'd do the same for them. Can many others say that about their close families? How about their super extended families? Today while sitting and eating we stretched our brains trying to figure out how my kids were related to another persons kids and it was something like 4th cousins. That's a pretty far relation. Despite the distant relations, people keep making the effort to stay close and I think that's amazing.

Anyway, I'm rambling here. Its just that the past two years have been more special to me than 28(?) previous reunions that I brushed off or was too young or shallow to care about. Perhaps its me getting older or that the loss of my Grandpa has changed my perspective. I don't know, but I do know that these kin of mine are pretty super special.

Speaking of super special kin, I wanted to share with you the blog of one of my, well, I *think* she's my second cousin. I'm too tired to draw out the family tree to be sure, so we'll go with that! Her name is Jennifer and she has 6 of the cutest kids you'll ever meet and she has a pretty entertaining blog here: http://squawcreekranch.blogspot.com/. I'm adding her to my sidebar because its become a daily read for me!

Ok, off to bed. Its cooled down considerably so I think we'll actually get some good rest!