Families are like cookies

You know how when you haven’t had a cookie in a long time and so your thinking, eh, it’s just a cookie, I’m not missing much – but then you have a bite and you realize how good the cookie is and how much you missed them…. That’s how I feel after this weekend, I miss having cookies.

We headed to Altoona and Portage, PA for the Vandzura Family Reunion. Mark’s brothers (Boone and Matt) flew in from Yellowstone with their wives and kids, and his sister Becky came up from Greensboro with her family. Then add in all the aunts and uncles and cousins and we had a house full… or three! Mark’s family is spread out across the country so we pretty much see everyone once every 2 years and so you kind of get used to it. But then you all gather together and see how grown up the kids are, see the newest additions, hear about jobs and news, and dance recitals that you missed and your heart sinks…. You realize just how much you have truly missed everyone =’(

We had a blast! Lots of great food, beer, wine, stories and of course no reunion would be complete without a few rounds of Bare Foot and Wild (card game). The reunion is usually a week long but with everyone’s schedules it was only Friday thru Tuesday (for most people), a few of us left Monday. So, we made the most of our time and took about 1000 pictures – lol. I was excited to show off Sam to all his aunts and uncles and extended family – most had never seen him in person and Sam did pretty well. He is getting a touch of stranger anxiety and wants to stay with his mom or dad most of the time – the rest of time he wants to be on the floor crawling, checking things out!

Here are a few pictures from our visit.

Zac, Patrick, Boone, and Hart

Elle, Boone, Karen, Mark

Group shot - the silly one!

The outcasts! We all married into the Vandzura Family

Billy, Jan, Karen, Gina, Polly, Jean, Bill

Group shot with Grandma Toncler

Evolution..... Mark, Josh, Jonah, Sam

Cousins

Jacob, Hart, Elle, Jonah, Zac, Sam, Patrick, Sarah, Josh

Monday afternoon we said our goodbyes and as we drove away my heart ached – not sure when we will see everyone again and Sam is too young to remember his cousins, aunts and uncles – I wish we all lived closer and could see each other once a month rather than every year or two. For now I will show Sam pictures of his extended family so he can learn who they are and know that he is loved very much.

I think I am going to go have a cookie…..