The Summer Picnic 2011

Last year I was invited to my cousin's wife's mother's summer picnic for the first time. Wow that sounds more complicated than it is. We will just say, the Pacific Northwest Family Picnic!

Anyways, this picnic is a yearly event for them and I have become cool enough to be invited again. I feel happy to be wanted and welcome at this picnic. I love this family and all the friends that come with it. They are some amazing people.

They took over the Birch picnic area of the Lewisville Park with jell-o based desserts, some simple BBQ (burgers and dogs!) and lots of home made mac salad, deviled eggs and all kinds of interesting and yummy things to eat. Some good, some scary, but all made with love. Or picked out with love in my case.... (last minute notice of the picnic this year!)

The kids run around in the grass and play with squirt guns. The pinata come out, the volley ball net, a sack race and all the fun things that you do at a family picnic and laugh a lot at.

So here are my pictures from this year. I was too distracted to get pics of everyone, and I want to change that next year, though there is part of me that feels odd taking pictures of other people, especially their children, and knowing that I will probably put them on my blog. I guess I can just always leave it open for them to ask me to take them down. I just have some sort of weird boundary about that. I may just have to ask them if its ok to take a picture of them. Or maybe they assume a picture will be taken when they come to things like this.

But anyways... ONTO THE PICTURES!

the sack race!

Standing around with Liam

hanging out with Liam

Dotty, looking just too good for this moment

Liam playing with a cow on wheels.

The pinata! (I found the place to hang it!)

Liam, eating candy from the pinata, I think that sugar gave him the energy to play all the rest of the day.

Pearl walking with Liam. Liam took off to follow her, so she stopped to hold his hand and walk with him. My heart melted.

Checking out some leaves

Putting the squirt guns into the firewood bin.

The pinnacle of the day for Liam, hanging out in the water drainage area and playing with a cup.

Dan did get to come for about half an hour at the end and he showed Liam the volley ball.