Family Reunion

We had our annual Family Reunion this weekend.

The extra kid is my niece's son, Anthony.

Alicia Dee and her mother, Frieda
My dad, Alicia Dee, Frieda, my mom and Aunt Pat.
Uncle Steve, Jimmy and Tom (Jeannette was home recooping from a knee replacement.)
Adam and Anthony checking out the water.
Kids collecting BIG rocks that make BIG splashes.

For many years, family reunions have been held at Tonganoxie Lake. The shelter house there holds many special memories, including many memories of us gathered around the fire on a particularly cold reunion weekend. After we've made several trips through the food line, we would walk down to the lake. Before long, we're all hunched over, looking for the "perfect" skipping rock. Next would come the contest to see who could skip a rock the farthest. I can think of at least four generations that have passed on this legacy to the next generation, including mine.

Times are changing, though. We've traded in the shelter house at Tongie for my parent's shelter at their subdivision. Don't get me wrong. I appreciate a real toilet over the stinky hole in the ground that Tongie Lake provides. And running water is a nice-ity, too. But, sometimes I wonder what memories my kids are missing...