family reunions and the 4th of July!

We've had a lot of extended family bonding time lately and it's been so much fun! Last weekend we trekked up to Oklahoma for a Trindle family reunion (my mom's side of the family). The girls were able to bond with their great grandparents, great aunts and uncles, and 2nd cousins. It was a really quick trip and a good amount of time in the car, but I'm really glad we were able to go!

ready to road trip!

chatting with daddy on one of our pit stops

Addie LOVED her Papa Joe!!

playing peek-a-boo with Nana Jeanie

hotel tradition ;)

playing star wars with Avory

Papa Joe put them to work watering his tree ;)

How does this even happen?! Skip-bo is a family reunion tradition and Fleming got a lucky hand ;)

throwing rocks in the creek behind Papa's house... yes, she throws like a girl!

IHOP!

4 generations! Papa Joe and his girls :)

When we came home, we had a few normal days, and then my cousin Jenni came down from Portland with her family. She has two girls a little older than Emily and a baby boy a little older than Addie and Fleming's boys, so we had a lot of fun! My cousin Keri and her family also came down for the weekend and we all spent the 4th of July together. It was so much fun! Every day Emily would wake up and say, "are my cousins still at Nana's house today?" Jenni's family left today to spend some time with her husbands family, but we're lucky because they'll be coming back for a few days at the end of the week. Keri's family has to leave tomorrow :( Emily's going to be so sad when all her cousins leave!

                          

Addie and Declan

                                      

she was fascinated by Ben's beard!

                          

                                     

Indie's a cuddler :)

                                       

we got delicious shaved ice!

 

what's a holiday without some sugar cookie decorating?

Friday night we went night swimming and Emily thought it was the coolest thing ever! The plan was to have the guys shoot off fireworks while we were in the pool, but Emily got scared, so they waited until we left :( The next night the rest of the family saw The Woodlands firework show from my dad's office, but we didn't end up going this year. Our neighbors go crazy with fireworks, though, so Grant and I got to watch some from our backyard. (and I even got to hear some more going off when I was up with Addie at 2 am!)

Nana has the perfect backdrop for 4th of July pics ;)

matching cousins... yes, this is the best picture I got ;)

all of the great-grandkids that were present (unfortunately, we're missing Shannon's kids and Alan's kids. Someday we'll get a complete shot!)

lined up in birth order!

grilling burgers in the middle of a storm!

Fleming's famous buffalo dip for appetizers

we made wands for the kiddos

right to bear arms ;)

Addie had an outfit change and matched Nana!