Two weeks ago, we got together for the annual Hines family winter retreat.
I am aware of how much controversy there is balled up inside the idea of gathering together as a family, especially a family as large as the Hines family. I am going to be honest and tell you that there were even various comfort levels amongst the family.
However, since this blog is my own space, and I use it often to look back on as a personal scrapbook, I sat down to write a blog post to recap it. As I started to gather my pictures, I realized that I had never written a blog post about our summer reunion this past August. In August, I was especially afraid of what people would say/think of us, so I decided to leave well enough alone. But I would still like those photos and memories compiled in one spot.
That being said, if you start to get strong feelings about families gathering together, I invite you to click away from this blog post and let it be. We are well aware of the risks and the benefits to gathering. I am thankful that in the year of 2020, I have this reunion to look back on.
For those of you who have never had the pleasure of meeting the Hines family- there is a lot of Hines. Dad and Mom Hines have seven sons. Yes, seven. No, no daughters. Five of the sons are married and we all have children (6 children, 5 children, 2 children, 3 children, 3 children). Of the 19 children, only 3 are over the age of 12. It’s a lot of fun and it’s a lot of chaos.
We arrived to the reunion on Thursday afternoon, and Grandpa already had some of the grandkids ready for rides!
The theme of the weekend was four-square. The guys (and kids!) played four square almost all weekend. Can you imagine how competitive seven brothers are in ANYTHING? Well, four square was no joke. At one point I joined the game, and that ended in tears and adult fights. So that was fun. HA! We agreed that Suzanne will never play four square again. And the inside jokes about four square will live on for generations, I just know it.
Is there anything more relaxing than a summer breeze blowing in off the lake, with the sunshine shimmering off the water and dancing through the trees?
Grandpa took the kids up in his airplane! They had a blast and even got to fly right over the lakehouse!
We filled up water balloons and had various water balloon games. You’d better believe that adults get just as into it as the kids!
I am thankful that I married this man and gained his family in the process.
The brothers all stand around and throw knives. No, really. Someone brought a knife throwing kit and this was the 2nd most popular activity after four square.
Olivia and Tera have birthdays just one week apart, so we grabbed some ice cream cake and celebrated these two sweet girlies!
After feeding all the kids ice cream, we left them with Grandpa and Grandma and went on an adults only boat ride. This was one of the highlights of the reunion for me. No kids, good conversation, slow boat down the canals, and a gorgeous sunset, too! Best quadruple date night ever!
Of course I cannot forget to mention Grandpa’s treasure box!! Grandpa collects all sorts of trinkets and gadgets and puts them in his treasure box. When he is with his grandkids, they get to pick one item out of the treasure box each day. It’s a highlight- for everyone- including the spectators!
Another favorite activity is the ladies lunch and shopping trip. We leave all the kiddos with the Dads/Grandpa and go thrifting and out to lunch. Our favorite thrift store was open, but the dressing rooms were closed, so we bunched together around a mirror and figured out how to try on clothes without removing any base layers. It was rather hysterical. We also found these wonderful outfits.
Meanwhile, the kids get away with all sorts of crazy stuff- like going to the park and shooting off rockets!
Aunt Marissa miiiight just be a favorite among all the young girlies!
Peter and Ezra are only 6 months apart and have so far shown that they are best frenemies. One wanted the door open, and the other wanted the door closed, so this little activity went on for awhile. HA.
We spent lots of time down on the shores of the lake. Tera even found a bunch of Monarch caterpillars in some milkweed!
And even though I don’t seem to have any pictures of it, the boat was out on the lake from sunup to sundown. The kids all loved tubed (just like their Dads!) and Grandpa and the bigger cousins ran that activity! Unfortunately, after tearing his hamstring tubing last year, Theo isn’t very into tubing anymore and it’s not my favorite (although I did go!). We will stick to the jet ski like the grown ups we are!
The grand finale of our family reunion is always a talent show. Anyone can submit whatever they would like to do, so the events are always a surprise! We have singing, dancing, woodwork displays, jokes, muscle competitions…there are no limits!
And thats a wrap on the Hines Family reunion of 2020!