Ackerman Family Reunion

Saturday I went to my Ackerman Family Reunion in Pleasant Grove.  Here is a picture of the only remaining children of Parley and Diantha Sorensen Ackerman.  My grandma Lela was the oldest child, and here is her sister Jalene, brother Boyd, and her sister Melba.
When I drove up to my great aunt Melba's home for the party, I continued to drive down the street a little bit to see the old beautiful sandstone home of my great grandparents, Parley and Diantha Ackerman.  I kept driving and never saw it when I realized I had gone too far.  I turned around and there where the house used to be was a pile of rubble and a newly paved road that led into a subdivision with a large sign that said "Parley's Place Subdivision."  My throat constricted and my eyes burned.  I wanted to cry, but I didn't.  Actually, one little tear did leak out the corner of an eye.  I had stopped in there about five years ago and didn't get the chance to take a picture of the old house.  I have meant to do it now for a few years but have always been in such a hurry and I rarely go to Pleasant Grove.  I could just kick myself now.

So, with cousins I have not seen in 15 years, I took pictures of my close family.  How lame is that?!?!?  Here is Tori, Brogan, me and my mom.  We did have a nice little lunch and had a good time talking with folks I barely know, but still made me feel like I have known them forever.

This is my dad holding an original pencil drawing of what an artist thinks my great great grandma Nettie De Groot Ackerman looked like.  There is a published story of her paying her tithing in chickens to the bishop, so the artist drew a 'poor, stout Dutch woman' carrying 2 chickens to the Bishop's Storehouse to pay her tithing.  I wish I had that drawing, but I do have the story.
 

Okay, my mom, me, and my sister Tori - I love the gals in my family.  We know each other so well and are so different that we love each other despite all our differences.  They are great ladies.

Kelsey and Jared.  My girls were pretty good sports about sitting around in the heat with all the old people!  Matt and Emmitt escaped to the ranch to fight the bugs, fix some fence, and spray the thistle for the day.

After the party, we went to my cousin's cherry orchard up on the hill for "a handful of cherries."  Well, that is what I said anyway, but they were SO GOOD and there were SO MANY, that I ended up with a bag full.  So did my parents and so did Tori.  This is Tori and Jared - she is so stinking cute.  Her little tum tum makes me smile.  It makes me smile because I am glad I am not the one pregnant in July, and it makes me smile because she is an amazing mother, and another sweet babe is coming to her home soon.  She is doing her sexy cherry pose here and it cracks me up.

This is us - yeah kinda silly.  Tori was giving a 'come get me' look and I was trying, but I just don't have it in me!  My look is more like, 'hurry up so I can pick more cherries!'
 

Kelsey has climbed a tree again.  My dad did say on this little trip that she is a monkey without a tail.  She and my dad made a good team - she would climb the trees, pick the cherries, and then drop them into my dad's hat.


This is Tori's little man Brogan.  I just thought the orchard was so nice and cool in the heat of the day, and his little sweetness of presenting his mom with a cherry poked onto the end of a stick was so sweet!  It was a fun day.  I am still sad about missing the picture of my great grandparents' home, but I guess I learned my lesson.  Don't put off till tomorrow what you know you should do today.  We still have a few cherries left, and nobody is sick yet!  Thanks family and thanks Ackermans!