Food and Family and Swimming, Oh My

It's a rare treat for all of Jesse's extended family to gather together at one time. (Rare, as in, I've only been with all of them a handful of times in the past decade.)  I don't know if it's because of Father's Day weekend, or Jesse's parents celebrating their 35th wedding anniversary, or just because family decided to come into town. Whatever the reason, we all joined together at Jesse's aunt's house for food and fellowship.

There's always potential for food challenges when we're eating in a social setting. Jesse and I had more than enough variety of meats, cheeses, and fruit. Everything was so good that I wasn't tempted by any poor choices. In fact, it just now occurred to me while writing this that I never had any dessert and I didn't even think of the croissants or potato chips at the time. (Obviously I didn't eat the pound cake, though I was happy to be asked to contribute it.)

We swam after dinner. The kids were beyond content in the water. Jackson confidently tested out every flotation device available, including multiple inner tubes, floaties, and a noodle. Maddie was kicking and moving her arms about joyfully. She especially enjoyed drinking pool water. Amelia was easy going floating around. James cried real tears at his first attempt in the pool. After cuddling with his PaPa for twenty minutes he had a pleasant take two. In typical James fashion, he made it his goal to splash as much water as possible.

We were even able to snap some family photos. While none were outstanding, there's at least photographic evidence that Jesse and I do exist.

Of course the best aspect of the day was being able to share in the fun with Jesse's cousins, aunts, uncles, siblings, and parents. I absolutely love big families and the shared responsibility of caring for the children.

Often times when the family gets together, time is spent reminiscing on past events and stories. While there may have been memories shared, today was about creating new memories and simply enjoying the present.