With an immediate family that now numbers 13, spread among four different cities, times with all of us together are few and far between.
Wife and I are fortunate, in that we travel to see the individual families, and they come to see us. The siblings, in-laws and cousins also visit each other.
But getting all of us in place at one time only happens two or three times per year. Christmas is a given -- somewhere around that time, we will all get together. Some years everyone comes for Thanksgiving, but not always.
Any other scheduled time together takes advance planning.
Accordingly, Wife suggested we all gather in the mountains of western North Carolina this summer. It is an easy drive for everyone, and we all love that area. This gathering would also be an early birthday celebration for Wife. Her birthday is in August, but late June was the best fit for the various schedules and calendars.
We were able to make it happen a few weeks ago in Highlands, a beautiful and quaint mountain town that lies within the Nantahala National Forest. Because of its mountain perch, it's always a bit cooler in summer than the temperatures to which we are accustomed at this time of year -- a big plus!
We rented a beautiful house high on a hill just off the downtown area, but which felt secluded. A huge, screened porch ran across one side, overlooking the valley below.
There were staggered arrivals and departures Wednesday through Monday, with everyone there Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Highlights included a surprise birthday video for Wife, with friends and relatives from various parts of her life wishing her well; a catered dinner Saturday night at the house where we stayed; and a family photo shoot Sunday morning. (My standard dad joke for such events: we can't get through it without fighting and crying, and then there are the children to deal with . . . )
There were also family hikes to waterfalls and creeks; a night of open-air Bluegrass music; a couple of brewery visits; and lots of talking and laughter on the aforementioned porch.
With five little ones, it was at times chaotic, but they were great, and their presence only enhanced the fun and laughs. I wish I could think of a more original way to say it, but I cant: a good (and fun) time was had by all!
4 comments:
It sounds wonderful, Bob! Love the family photo. 😃
Although I have never been able to stay long in the chaos of strangers, I do love enjoying the chaos of family. Our big family get togethers are over now as my grandparents and parents have started going over to the other side. I hope someday that my brother and I can get together as patriarchs of the family with the assortment of kids, spouses and grandkids and create memories for the next couple generations.
What a wonderful family time! Is it my imagination or do children these days growing up more quickly than our own did? I think of all of your grands as babies, which is ridiculous. They are not.
I think it's amazing that you can get that many people together in one place three times a year. That speaks to a lovely family that you have.
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