1st Annual Paulson Family Reunion

With our move overseas and planning only one trip home each year, we convinced the family to move their annual trips home from Christmas to summer. It was really fun to get everyone together in the summertime when there are so many more outdoor activity options. My mom was so excited that she planned it like a "proper" family reunion and ordered t-shirts and everything!

Dave had brought a new camera with him when he came and we used that to take most of the pics from the rest of our trip... and then left it beind :( We'll be getting it soon but in the mean time, I'm using the photos my dad was kind enough to send me.

We spent a day at Red Oaks Water Park that all the kids loved. My mom spent the day capturing bees (there were TONS!). Wish I had that pic.

We also had a family photo shoot and got some nice pictures. Don't have them yet.

The boys had tons of fun just hanging out together.

Davey loved playing games with his older cousins

Enjoying some ice cream in the backyard. Enoch is really into it!

Hanging out while Michael made quite a creation!

Unfortunately, one of the Utah folks brought back a bug that we not-so-fondly called "The Sickness." It spread through almost everyone in the whole 21 of us - all staying in my parents house. It was just my parents and Desiree and I who were spared. Fortunatley it didn't kick the kids as hard as it did the adults - but that thing was violent and miserable. By the end of the week I was so scared of it that I walked around everywhere with a canister of Clorox wipes wiping anything I was going to touch or that a sickie had touched. It was almost funny how hard that bug hit us all.

Harmony was awesome to work with my mom to prepare a meal schedule and assignments for everyone to take turns cooking and cleaning. I worked quite well, but mostly thanks to Mom who did so much food prep in advance and was almost always helping in the kitchen. The meals were delicious!

Desiree workin' it with the mango chicken quesadillas

John, Jared, Harmony and Ben ejoying a card game

Our family reunion was so much a "real" family reunion that we even had a talent/skit show. It was so cute to see the kids participating and we had some good laughs!

The kids enjoyed some fun water and bubble play outside...

Charlie provoking Davey

You have to look closely but their faces are so cute and happy

Getting clean after a hard day's play!

Since it was just a few days before Davey's birthday, I thought it would be fun to take advantage of the first time he would be able to celebrate with his extended family and we had a birthday party at Pump-It-Up. The kids had a blast, of course.

It was a good opportunity to all wear our matching reunion shirts.

Davey has always loved people to do things the same and at the same time, like for us all to take a drink or bite at the same time at dinner. So he just loved everyone wearing the same shirt and this is now his all-time favorite shirt. He wears it every chance he gets.

Davey being sung to in the big birthday chair.

Enjoying the Hot Wheels after the party

It was so fun that two of my mom's sisters, Mary and Judy, came for a few days of the reunion. I just don't get to see my aunts and uncles, especially on my mom's side, often enough.

Aunt Mary playing with her grand-nephews. She has always been so much fun.

On the last day of the reunion, we had a barbecue and invited a bunch of neighbors and church friends. We warned them about "The Sickness" and held it outside so they would feel more comfortable coming if they did, and it was so nice to see how many people still came. It's always so nice to connect with old friends.

Hopefully next year we'll all be healthy and can fully enjoy ourselves. I was disappointed that I didn't get to interact more with my little nephews and niece (Isaac, Tommy and Megan) since they were all under the weather and not their playful selves.

I am so looking forward to our next reunion - we had so much fun! Hooray for having such a wonderful family! I love you all!