Our 2024 Reunion - Mostly In Pictures

We were only at home on Monday and it was a very busy day. The workers arrived early to try and  finish the kitchen. They put in a new sink, new counters, and installed the dishwasher.

While all of that indoor work was going on, I was outdoors working. I picked two buckets of fallen apples and fed one to the pigs and one to the chickens. Then I picked a bucket off the trees and set it aside. I did it hoping they would still be good when we got home again so I could make a batch of applesauce. The lawn needed cutting and I only had a few hours in the morning to do it. I began cutting before the dew was off and the mower kept getting clogged with wet grass, but I had no choice as we were expecting rain in the afternoon. On top of all that, we were busy packing for our trip to North Carolina for our family reunion.

We left for the reunion on Tuesday morning at 9:15 a.m. The drive south was long. We met up with the Thayns in Frederick, Maryland, and had lunch at the Café Rio before continuing on to North Carolina. We arrived at the campground at 8:30 p.m., greeted those who were already there, and unpacked all the food, supplies, games, and musical instruments we’d brought at the lodge house. Then we went to the bunkhouse where we were sleeping and unpacked the rest. We shared our accommodations at the bunkhouse with the Thayns.

In the bunkhouse.

Eagles Nest Campground is owned by the church and is a great facility. It sits in the woods with a lake at its center. There is a large lodge house with a big kitchen and huge eating/activity room – with air conditioning, a very important feature. Near the lodge house are various cabins and the bunkhouse, and by the bunkhouse a facility with toilets and showers. We settled into the bunkhouse where we slept on bunk beds, of course.

The swimming area, lake, and lodge.

The lake at Eagles Nest.

Over the next three days, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, there was constant activity. Each family was assigned two meals. We were assigned breakfast on Wednesday and dinner on Friday. There was a lot of excellent food. It seemed like we were always eating. Each family was assigned an activity. We did a family history presentation and a jeopardy game on Thursday evening. Other activities included a treasure hunt, a Minute-to-Win-It game, an obstacle course, gun shooting, candy sushi, and karaoke. There was a craft table and a jigsaw puzzle table in almost continuous use. And all day there was swimming, canoeing, and fishing. The food was great. And best of all, we got to sit and talk, tell stories, and get caught up on what was going on in each family. The center of attention much of the time was on my mother, who is 95. We spent a lot of time talking with her and taking lots of pictures. We had family there from far flung corners of the country – The Lotts family from Oregon, the Mazones from Washington, the Shilligs from Missouri, Aunt Dolly from Indiana, the Steve Howe/Floyd/Klenk family and our friend Linda Brooks from Utah, the Hipples and Dan Howe family and the Thayns from Pennsylvania, the Fosters from Ohio, and the Martin/Hammett/Hawks clan from North Carolina. Cousin Rick and his wife Melony stopped in on Thursday in transit in their relocation from Utah to Wilson, North Carolina. We also had Stacey’s sister Roxann from Arizona, and her brother Ted and his wife Cherie from Virginia join us on Thursday and Friday.

Florence with her candy sushi.

A dirt pile and popsicles, does it get any better?

Playing games: Miriam and Tosh, Brandon Allred, Elisabeth Shillig, Kayla and Samuel and Landon Shillig, Enoch Shillig.

Making meals: John Lotts, Bob Mazone, Jaynan Lotts, Dolly Rathfon, Wally Hipple, Chris Hipple, Elizabeth Lotts.

Laura and Brandon Hawks.

More games: Sarah Foster, Uncle Ted Shillig, Tosh Foster, Aunt Roxann Means.

Tosh at the rifle range.

My mother and my niece Elizabeth Lotts.

Getting ready to make candy sushi: Hannah, Rachel, and Florence.

The weather was perfect the whole time, hot and humid enough outside to make us thankful for the lake, air conditioned rooms, and the continuous supply of popsicles thanks to Uncle Johnny. The time passed too quickly. It always does. Some of the group left on Friday. Some of us stayed and left on Saturday morning. Saying good-bye was hard, especially with my mother. We left for home at 9:00 a.m. We stopped in Frederick, Maryland, and had lunch with the Thayns at Chic-fil-A. Then they went their way and we went ours. We brought Stacey’s sister Roxann back with us. We stopped at Gettysburg so she could see the battlefield. We finally arrived home at midnight last night. We unpacked the car and went straight to bed.

All the first cousins that were there. Front left to right: Zach Howe, Hannah Howe, Sarah Foster, Jennifer Hammett, Elizabeth Lotts, Elisabeth Shillig, Samuel Shillig. Back row left to right: Katie Floys, Rachel Thayn, Laura Hawks, Emma Clayton, Geri Klenk, Miriam Howe, Enoch Shillig.

Cousin Rick and Melony Graham, and Moo.

Sitting and chatting: Linda Howe, Lily Floyd, Katie Floyd, Steve Howe, me, and Linda Brooks.

Out in the lake.

Aunt Dolly and my mother, Chris (Dolly's daughter) and Wally Hipple.

Hannah, Roxann, Miriam and Florence, Nancy, and Jaynan.

Hollie and Jim.

Me and my mother.

In Gettysburg, the view from Little Round Top.

So the Big Event of the Summer is over. There are still lots of things ahead. Roxann will be here all week. The Shilligs have more family arriving this week. The Thayns are coming up on Tuesday to spend a week with us.

Work almost done in the kitchen.

Work on the kitchen is still not finished, but it is done enough that tomorrow we will start putting things back in place and the house will be restored to some semblance of order. I did the morning chores this morning and I think the chickens and pigs were happy to see me. Kurt took care of them while I was gone. I walked through the gardens the orchard and took mental note of all the things that need to be done. We will be busy and time will continue to fly by as summer rushes on.