I know I’m only two months behind in my blog posts, but I have to start up somewhere, right?
One of our favorite events of the whole year is the Hines Family Reunion! We usually get together as a family only once or twice a year, so this is a much anticipated event!
A little background if you are new here: Theo has six brothers. Four of them are married, and there are 17 cousins. So family get-togethers are nearly 30 people and there IS NO CALM AND QUIET.
We kicked off the reunion with a 5-hour drive to Saginaw. We have learned that the key to road trips with kids is actually to stop often and make the kiddos get out, use the bathroom and run around. Every time we stop for gas or food, everyone has to get out of the van, everyone has to use the bathroom (we travel with a potty seat- gamechanger!), and everyone has to move their body! We find that doing this makes the actual time in the van so much easier, with much less whining. It might add 20 minutes to our trip, but it’s completely worth it!
We started out the reunion at the Saginaw Zoo!
This is such a cute little zoo with a train, a few animals, a playground, a carousel and a petting zoo section.
The weather was PERFECT and does anything beat cousin time? I think not!
After the zoo, we loaded into the car to drive the hour drive to the cabin Up North! The first day usually involves settling in, unpacking all the toys and recreational equipment, and catching up on the last few months since we all saw each other. Usually, not everyone has arrived so it’s a smaller group and we all go for an evening sunset boat ride through the canals. I know I’m probably the only one, but this might just be my favorite part of the Hines Family Reunion!
We usually drive slowly up and down the canals and look at houses. To me, it’s so calm and peaceful and relaxing and its such a great way to kick off the reunion!
The next day we were up bright and early and ALL the cousins were arriving! Well, we were missing one family this year. I guess that having a due date for baby #5 right during the family reunion was a good enough reason to skip this year. I GUESS.
When Tera was a baby, family reunions with all the Hines were overwhelming for me. I felt like I was just parenting in a different location, while everyone had loads of fun. Usually, people would go out on boat trips, or tubing, or 4-wheeling, or playing games in the driveway…and I felt like I had to tuck myself away and keep my baby on a schedule. It has gotten so much easier over the years as my kids have gotten older and have been able to choose their own adventures. This year we arrived on a Thursday night and I feel like I barely saw Tera until we left on Sunday afternoon. Kiah tagged along with her and was also very easily entertained. Tera and Kiah were able to just PARTICIPATE in alllllll the activities and as a parent, it was so much fun to watch!!!
Several years ago, my father in law started doing a treasure box for his grandkids. Each day, they haul out the treasure box and get to choose one treasure each. My FIL finds these treasures at stores, or when he is out walking or ANYWHERE! So many treasures! The kids LOVE it and get SO SO SO excited. Also, there have been several times where we have caught the Dads rifling through the treasure box even after all the kiddos have picked their treasures.
Lots and lots and lots of cousin time!
My mother in law is an incredible woman, and has been feeding large groups of people for years now! She rarely sits down and always has this beautiful smile on her face! I am so so thankful for the family that I married into, but especially the mother that I gained.
The boat was out on the lake for nearly 3 days straight! Grandpa would just take loads of kids out (always with an extra adult or two present). The cousins are starting to get older now and it’s been so fun seeing them be able to actually do some fun things in the water!
Back on land, there is usually a board game or a puzzle or both going at the same time!
One of our favorite traditions during the reunion is leaving ALL of the children with the Dads and going out for a ladies’ lunch and Goodwill shopping trip! We have done this for several years in a row now, and have it down to an art! It’s seriously SO FUN to shop and eat with my sisters and MIL.
Meanwhile…more boating/tubing on the lake. The weather was PERFECT all weekend!
Tera has exactly zero fear and wanted to tube nonstop with her cousins and Theo. I will admit that when I was on the boat I couldn’t handle her being in a tube. It was so so alarming for me. So we decided that it was best if I just stayed on land and she got to enjoy tubing with her cousins. Theo was always on the boat with other adults and I trust them completely. It just always looked like she was going SO FAST and I was the annoying Mom yelling “slow down! slow down!” when they were only going 5 mph. LOL.
Of course, its all fun and games until someone shreds their hamstring….
Being on the water is SO FUN….until Uncle Titus splashes you with the jetski. Mean ‘
Sometime during the reunion, the boys always head out to do some shooting. This is our fair exchange since the ladies get to go out shopping and eating lunch. We drove out to pick up the guys and watch some of their shooting and Ezra fell asleep on the golf cart.
The final day of the reunion, we always host a talent show! The talent shoes includes every kind of talent known to man…
Including but not limited to…
Storytelling…
…..Hair Braiding….
…..Baby throwing (and catching)……
…..card tricks….
….toddler throw downs…..
….and a few rounds of sardines….
The next day, all the families started packing up and heading out. We stayed for one last boat ride and Titus and his oldest son wanted to try out the water skis! Theo would have tried as well…but #shreddedhamstringmuscle
And after all that time with family, we were EXHAUSTED!
I think that this was my favorite Hines Family Reunion yet! Thanks for the good time, everybody!