Last week was wonderful. The reason it was wonderful was because it was all about family. We left home on Wednesday morning and traveled down state to our family reunion. And since a picture is worth a thousand words, this will be the equivalent of a 27,000 word essay.
Events on the first day, Wednesday, were held at Little Buffalo State Park in Perry County, the homeland of the Rathfon family. We gathered at a pavilion there for lunch, dinner, swimming, and lots of hugging and talking.
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| My mother and Aunt Dolly Rathfon walking together. |
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| Me and my siblings, Jaynan, Steve, Hollie, and Nancy. |
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| My parents and my Aunt Esther Rathfon. |
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| Hazel and June at the pool. |
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| Sitting and around and talking. |
At one point we went to another part of park where there was a covered bridge and took family photos.
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| Hollie's family. |
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| My family (Geoffrey's family and Hannah hadn't arrived yet). |
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| Steve's family (Andrew's family and Emma hadn't arrived yet). |
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| Nancy's family. |
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| John and Delaina and Mindy's family. |
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| Jaynan's family. |
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| My Aunt Dolly and her family (Amy and Nathan hadn't arrived yet). |
On day two we took a drive through Juniata county, the homeland of my Showers and Hench ancestors, and Perry county, the homeland of the Rathfons. We ate a picnic lunch at Church Hill Cemetery, near Port Royal, where we told stories about our ancestors who are buried there.
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| Lucy (Steve's granddaughter) and Ellie and Hazel (my granddaughters) at Church Hill. |
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| Daniel (my son) and Henry (my grandson) |
That evening we met at the Carlisle Chapel for dinner. The food was great - all the food every day was great. Other family members joined us there.
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| Four generations. |
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| Good food, great company. |
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| My parents with my mother's cousin, John Showers and his son Tim. |
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| Cousins playing games. |
On Friday we toured family history sites in the Harrisburg area, starting at the State Capitol building where statues by our great-great-grandmother's cousin, George Gray Barnard, adorn the capitol steps. That evening we were back at the Carlisle Chapel for another great dinner, a birthday celebration for Nancy, some family history stories from Dad, and a talent show.
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| The State Capitol building with the Barnard statues. |
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| It was my sister Nancy's birthday. |
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| Dad telling family history stories. |
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| My niece Tamera's husband, Kolio, juggling. |
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| My niece Jennie's son Joseph, playing the guitar. |
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| My nephew Andrew singing and playing the guitar. |
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Saturday morning we met at the Harrisburg Chapel where the Rathfon family had a delicious breakfast for us. Some of the family departed for their various homes from there and some of us crossed the river to tour family history sites in New Cumberland. From there, we all parted ways.
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| Breakfast on Saturday. |
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| My parents, Nancy, Steve, and me behind what used to be our home in New Cumberland. |
It was a great reunion. My cousin Chris and her husband Wally did a great job in putting it all together. It was wonderful to be with so much family. I love my family. From the reunion, my parents and all my children who were there and their families came up here and we will be together for a few more days. The house is full of people and overflowing with happiness and love.
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| Our grandchildren. |
