Stutzman Reunion this past weekend!!!

I HAVE A CAMERA!!! Dad got so tired of me borrowing his camera...he and Rhonda went and bought me an early birthday present!! Yippee!! Now...what are the chances of them FORGETTING that they bought me a birthday present already by the time November rolls around???? :-)

This past weekend (June 25th -27th) we had the Stutzman Reunion that takes place every 3 years in a different location. This year my sister was in charge of it...with a little help from me...and we had it in Fremont, NE, at Calvin Crest Church Camp. We had a GREAT time! There were roughly 85 family members there who came from Oregon, Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa and Nebraska. Did I tell you we had a GREAT time!! We did SOOO much!! I am ABSOLUTELY exhausted!!! STILL!!! And it's Tuesday!! It ended 2 days ago and I am BEAT!

Friday night we got there around dinner time. We hung out...said hi to family we haven't seen in a long time...and then off to eat...the wonderful church camp food (not sarcasm). After dinner we went back and watched the slideshow I put together. We also had a hulahoop contest and dance off with the kids. Lots of fun...but exhausting. Saturday after a VERY short night of sleep for some of us...we had breakfast, then played softball...then lunch...then water balloon toss...then swimming pool...then family pictures....then dinner....then more slide show...auction...and trivia. We didn't head back to the camper until midnight. LONG day!! Sunday we had breakfast, then worship and devotional....then lunch and goodbyes.

It was long...but fun! The camp had hotel like places to stay, cabins, and RV hookups. This year we stayed with my dad in his RV...and brought our tent for the boys. Friday night was the only night the boys stayed in the tent because it rained Saturday night. So the RV was good and packed Saturday night.

Here is a picture of Charlotte and Gene Gerig! Charlotte has an AWESOME resaurant and store in Beaver Crossing, NE if you are ever in the area!!!!! Charlotte is my dad's first cousin. Here is Kurt, my second cousin and Major. I grew up with Kurt in Arizona...well...he is 8 years older than me...but I still kinda grew up with him!

Even during reunions, kids can STILL get time outs!!! Yup...MaKenna and Major had a BIT too much sugar I am afraid!!!

We had our auction which yielded a little over $1,000 for the next reunion!! Yippee! Here is Jake Hostetler...he is a childhood friend of my dad and his brothers! AND a REAL acutioneer...which made the auction THAT much more fun!! If you could understand him!

Major and Brooke...getting into mischief??

Here is my second cousin's wife Betty and their son Daryl. Mitch and Betty have an awesom story. They currently have 6 children that they have adopted via foster care. They STILL have foster kids come and go from their house, but their 6 children they have all adopted after they had had them in their home for foster care for awhile. Daryl is special. He was perfectly normal when born, but sadly at just 3 months old and 5 pounds (he was a bit premature...3 pounds at birth), he was shaken. This is the result of that Shaken Baby Syndrome. Daryl is SUCH a sweet boy though...he has a HUGE smile!! He is blind...but can hear very well, and can recognize voices.

Here is MY immediate family. This is the Roy Stutzman family (at least those who could attend). We're a pretty big group! Most of this group came in from Arizona and Oregon.

Here is the Mabel Stutzman Beckler family. This group had people come in from Alabama and Colorado.

Here is the Clarence Stutzman group....they had people come in from Arizona.

Here is Jeff, Major and MaKenna...waiting for pictures to end on this SWELTERING Nebraska day!

Here are a bunch of us at the pool. Rhonda has MaKenna and Mike has Brooke!

Here we are going on the Hayrack ride! Here is Jake, Ivan and Jeff.

Dad and Major.

Major

Brooke, MaKenna, Dottie and Elden. MaKenna was attached at the hip to Aunt Dottie!

Ivan, Kayla and Major.

Dad...acting silly...what's new?

Rhonda...a true diva...

Practicing for the hula hoop contest...Brooke, MaKenna and Aunt Dottie.

Cam playing horseshoes...watch out Uncle Brandyn...Cam is getting pretty good!!!!

Shane and Shannon playing against Cam.
Just FYI...the Stutzman brothers and sister, Shane, Shannon, Kerri and Kurt are avid bicycle riders. They are riding across the country next year to raise money for Parkinson's as my second cousin Jerry (their dad) is battling this disease. If you are interested in learning more or donating, check out their site at http://popsride.com/parkinsons/. Cam, Shawn and Jeff watching.

Jeff

Cam and Major burying Cam in the rocks at the park.

Major at the RV.

Flagstaff....

Ugh...poor Flagstaff...will there be anything left when we get there this weekend?????

Graduation Party

Last weekend was Cam's 5th grade graduation party and MaKenna's preschool graduation party! We had a great time! Lots of family, friends and neighbors joined us! Presents weren't necessary, but should they be like Deana and HAVE to bring something, they could bring school supplies! So...we actually got quite a few school supplies that we won't have to go buy later!! Great idea Tonya!! :-) They ONLY get graduation parties for milestones. MaKenna will be going to real school for the first time next year, and Cam will be going to middle school for the first time. Then we will do parties for 8th grade graduation and 12th grade graduation. Anyway...here are some pictures! We ate yummy burgers and hot dogs and had a great dessert made by Emily...and fantastic fruit brought by Allyson! We had a terrific time!!!
After the party two of Cam's friends stayed the night....here is a picture of the group...Cam, Cannon, Peyton and Jake. And yes...we all went to church the next day too!!!

After the wedding....

Okay...so I am VERY slow on posting lately. It has been SOOO busy! I have been working on a slide show for the Stutzman Reunion...plus a trivia game for the same reunion which is this weekend...plus trying to keep it fun and exciting for the 7 kids at my house this summer...busy...busy...busy!! Anyway...these are pictures from after the wedding.

Dixie's reception wasn't like a usual Filleman reception...only the bride and groom...dad and bride...and groom and mom danced. So...it wasn't a LONG reception. Dixie and Tanner were gone by 5 I think. So we cleaned up the church and went home...put all of her left over food in our fridge for the present opening the next day...put our swimming suits on and out the door again. We headed over to the pool at the hotel that everyone was staying at. It was only a few miles from our house...not far at all. Major enjoyed playing with the left over bubbles....

Of course he enjoyed the pool too....so did MaKenna...my little mermaid....

Cam has ALWAYS been like a fish....

And Jake...well...he was really well prepared.... Here are Danny and Jace.

Maj and Daddy.

My little mermaid liked to play mermaid with Dixie's best friend Kylin...in fact...she liked Kylin so much that she recently got a Zhu Zhu pet and named it after her!

We always have fun when we swim as a family...and yes...I did get in and play too...I just am always the one behind the camera.

Funny story....Holly MADE me have a Mike's Lemonaide. I have never had one...and I am not a drinker...so that was interesting. Anyway....it is a BIG no no at our house. Jeff left early and took Major and Cam with him. Cam's asthma was acting up and Jeff...well...he just isn't a social butterfly. So MaKenna and Jake were with me. I was sitting on the patio and they were swimming. Jake came over and said, 'MOM...you're drinking a BEER??' I said, "NO! See...it says Lemonaide on it!" BAD idea...then he comes over..."Oh...can I have some?" UGH!!! NOOOOO!!! I covered though...I told him no, he wouldn't like it...it was mommy lemonaide. Whew...I think I dodged that bullet! :-) Maybe....I could have started something bad too......