I love Labor Day Weekend!

Well, all the laundry is finished from our fun weekend in Lyman for the Chappell Family Reunion. What a super time we had. My uncle George and aunt Linda were in charge this year, and does that guy know how to cook! It was so much fun to see my favorite cousins, watch the kids run wild, play some volleyball, eat great food, and just chat the days away.

This is my sis Tori.

Here are some of the kids waiting patiently for the BIG swing, and for someone BIG to push them into the treetops so they can taste the leaves. I remember doing that myself. It gives me a headache to think about it now, and almost makes me pee my pants.

This is April, my niece on the Crane side and my cousin's kid on the Chappell side. I know, sounds confusing and somewhat Southern right? Her mom, Emiko, is my first cousin and happened to marry Matt's brother. Double Whammy. We love April.

This is a bunch of the younger kids. I think they were waiting for the treasure hunt to start, otherwise why would they all be in one place?

My cousin Kacey is serving with the Air Force in Iraq and her squadron is holding a school supply drive for the rural Iraqi children. We were asked to bring certain supplies to the reunion and assemble the kits.

Rachelle and Alyssa were the brains and the brawn of the operation. They said to me "This is kinda fun isn't it?"

Our family has quite a few members serving this great country and its citizens. Thanks to all of you, you make us proud.

Presley and Taylor

We had a REALLY nice volleyball tournament going on for a couple of days. We had some really nice volleys and some major grass stain action. It was so much fun and I am pretty sure my team won the whole deal. You don't mess with uncle Alton, April, Curt, Tacey, Jared, and me!

Yes, the brown poop houses were considered out-of-bounds.

LeEllen and Rick

They are smiling so much here because they kept supplying the little kids with silly string cans and plots to get their parents! They are so great with my girls, well, all the little kids actually. My girls love them. Whenever I tell them we are going to my parents they talk about Rick and LeEllen too.

My little Emmitt was a such a good boy. He had nice naps everyday, which allowed MOM to play volleyball like crazy!

Crab apple wars have always been a part of the reunion. My cousin Scott, my brother Glen, and my dad, always seem to be the ringleaders, and it was no different this year. They hide out on the hillside in the dark with their hats full of apples and pelt everyone that walks by. Butt my Matty took it to a different level. He somehow got Waylon's sling shot and was shooting them at poor little Larry.

The bad part was that Larry kept coming back for more!

Here is our new family president, Sara, conducting our annual general family meeting. After the meeting is when we have our raffle drawings. We all wait with much anticipation!

Glen and Presley

Curt and Norah

Tori, Kelsey, and Brogan - applying lip gloss!

The drawings turned out great this year, although I did NOT win the quilt my uncle George and aunt Linda made - DANG IT! We have had 28ish family reunions and I think it is about my turn to win a quilt!! I did win a really nice picture of my grandma and grandpa's house though. My kids made out well - cute balloon flip flops, lip gloss, princess bag with goodies, fleece blanket, wood blocks, hair bow/flower thingies, etc,

Emmitt

I told Kendal to smile and this is what I got.

She had such a super time with all the kids and running wild and playing on the playground. Oh yeah, and getting DIRTY!

Lori and Kanyon or maybe Canyon, and baby Dragon or perhaps Draigon - not sure

Sean, Judd, and Rhett

All the kids had a super time. With 10 acres of hill, corrals, and yard to play on, we didn't see too much of them around. Kelsey would seriously disappear after breakfast, show up when she was hungry for lunch, and then take off again for the afternoon. I didn't worry about her either.

My little man was introduced to many things over the weekend without my knowledge! My dad was holding him one afternoon and I didn't realize he was also holding a snickerdoodle cookie in his mouth! Then Emiko was loving on him while I was volleyballing and she gave him a dumdum sucker. She could not believe how strong he was when she tried to take it back out of his mouth!

What a wonderful weekend we had. Thanks mom and dad for everything and letting us crash the house. Thanks George and Linda for a great year. Thanks family for good memories.