Smith Family Reunion Part III

On July 3rd, everyone had finally arrived for the reunion, so we packed a picnic dinner and headed over to the local airport to watch the fireworks along the landing strip. My mother-in-law has the ability to make even a picnic meal feel gourmet and her added touches of striped paper straws and individually wrapped utensil packets made it feel extra celebratory!

The crew getting setup

Seriously, how cute are these?! And the time she took to make this for all 30+ of us---she definitely has a gift!

Aunt Trish (or Great Aunt Trish to these guys) playing games to pass the time

The fireworks were in Land O'Lakes, WI (just on the border with the U.P. of MI) and this also happens to be the site of our favorite ice cream place, Dairy Maid, which Matt's family refers to as 'Bob's Ice Cream'...Bob provides the entertainment at Dairy Maid and he has been a mainstay there since before Matt was even around. Each year when we go we hope to see Bob still there and this year did not disappoint!

Loaded up and ready for Bob's!!

And there he was! Still singin' away like every other year

Blake with his extended cousins (Matt's cousins' kids'...does this make them 2nd or 3rd cousins or first cousins once removed? I never know!)

Corbin, Blake and Lane

Eli joined the party a bit later

Wyatt, McKenna and Aunt Jamie enjoying Bob's songs

Ty, Whitney, Reagan and Britton

Bellies full and headed back to the fireworks location

The sunset was beautiful 

(as I was taking this picture, Matt's cousin Britton accused me of being 'one of those old people that takes pictures of sunsets'.....since when do only old people take them?!)

Me and my favorite sister-in-laws

+ Whitney

Ty (Whitney's hubs), Matt and Britton

You think these guys had fun together?

Sadie borrowed some ear protection from Grant and Jenni's boys (who are almost 4 and almost 2 yrs old)....this girl does NOT like loud noises and was probably the more fearful of the fireworks

Aunt Trish with more entertainment for the kids.....the boys thought they heard some fireworks while playing with the bubbles..don't you love the look on their faces?!

Eli was quite possibly the more enamored with the fireworks!

Keepin' it real

Glow-stick swords

Aunt Cammie and Chris playing card games with the kiddos (Sadie wasn't about to take those earphones off if she didn't have to--you never know when those fireworks will start!)

A little background to the next few pictures....when we were in MI in January for Matt's Grandad's funeral, Blake took a serious liking to Matt's cousin Karsten. Karsten is a cool, fun-loving college student who the little boys just LOVE to play with/wrestle/beat up on. And he is such a good sport about it. Ever since we left MI this winter, Blake has been talking about his 'buddy Karsten'...and that's exactly what he calls him...never Karsten...always 'my buddy Karsten' or occasionally 'my buddy' for short. So when Blake finally got to see Karsten, he wouldn't let him out of his sight (nor would he let Karsten's own nephews get very close). And when Blake has affection for someone, he displays it by getting as physically close as possible (i.e., climbing on, wrestling, choking, etc)

More fun with the glow sticks

A great pic of the whole crew minus me

A not-so-great pic of the entire crew with me (figures!)

Man, it felt like we waited forever! We thought they were going to start around 9pmb ut they didn't end up starting until 10:15...lots of waiting and trying to pass the time for the littles ones (and some of us bigger ones)

These pics are hilarious.....Eli (almost 3 yrs old) loved the fireworks and couldn't get enough while Sadie was terrified pretty much the entire time and looked like this!

After a late night, we headed home to get rested for the real 4th of July!!!!