The Ericksons: Phelps Family Reunion

July 6, 2013

On Saturday the Phelps clan all gathered at Grandpa's church building to eat, drink and be merry! We enjoyed some delicious hot dogs, salads, chips, veggies, and brownies for lunch - and spent the afternoon visiting, chasing kiddos around, playing speed scrabble, Phase 10, knockout/lightning, and Catch Phrase. It was so fun to have all the newest little babies together: Sam, Will, Jace and Mylee. We determined Grandpa has 14 great grandkids, and all but 3 were there - we missed you Matthew, Andrew and Jakob!

I think the funniest moment of the day was when the power went out while playing Catch Phrase! There we all were, playing, laughing and having a good time when suddenly there was a loud boom and the lights went out! No emergency lights of any kind - just pitch blackness! All the parents called out for their little ones who had been running around the cultural hall - Livi couldn't have cared less about no lights, she responded "Wow!" and thought it was a fun game to run around in the dark. Classic Livi. There was quite the storm that afternoon: thunder, lightning and RAIN. We never did get the lights back up and running, perhaps because we couldn't find the breaker box! So we all gathered in the foyer to enjoy the natural light and a few of us ventured outside once the rain had stopped. The kids didn't mind getting wet as they ran around in wet grass and splashed in the puddles on the sidewalk.

I must admit, as fun as it was being altogether, it just wasn't the same without Grandma. I found myself looking around the cultural hall for her - especially when we would burst out laughing over small and silly things. She always had the funniest faces and such a contagious laugh. And what are goodbyes without smacks from Grandma? I am grateful to know we'll all be together again someday - one big happy family reunion in heaven!

Enjoy some photos from our afternoon!