Family Reunion 2012

Somehow these pictures were missed back when blogging in September, so here it is, March 30th, and I'm now blogging about September 2nd with Mommy memory.  I'll do my best.

All us Boyers, including Uncle Buddy and Aunt Vivian, made the trek to south Georgia for the Johnson family reunion this year.  We loaded up 3 cars, 3 gas tanks and the 14 of us made the trip, for better or for worse.  Our first stop was at the Agri Supply store in Valdosta.  You might be a redneck if your family stops at the Ag store first, before the family reunion, huh?

We managed to not spend our family inheritance there and kept 3 excited-out-of-their minds children half-way calm and physically out of the chicken coops.  Um, by the way, have you seen the mansions some of these chickens are living in?  Case in point:

So now do you see why it was hard to keep 3 kids out of these?  I'd like to crawl around in there myself. :)

We found the hotel and also found a great restaurant that accommodated all of us, including 6 chirens, served good food, fairly quickly at a great price.  And the restaurant's name is...(hang on while I google it....) Cheddar's!  Pretty good stuff.  I'd go back.  Well now, that doesn't say much.  Jim would go back.  There, you have it.

The hotel was the bomb, because every single Hampton Inn on the planet is the bomb in our kid's eyes.  They swam that night in the heated pool with the cousins and the girls got to have a sleepover in Bamah & Papa's room.  Boys were the next night.

The next day, we were on the trail again to Uvalda, GA.  We did the best we could to keep yungins rested, entertained, fed and bathroomed up for the trek, but no lie, it was a job.  They enjoyed switching cars and hanging out with each other.

We finally made it to the reunion, did plenty of chatting, hugging and (as Uncle Buddy puts it) burping each other and headed off back south to Douglass to prepare for our trip to the Okefenokee Swamp.  We've been there before, but this trip was different.

We did have a little excitement when we were ready to leave the Douglas hotel for the swamp when the Guinn's car battery died.  They called AAA, put in an order and were ready to wait while sending the rest of us along to the swamp, when, lo and behold, the 2 boy scouts stepped in and DISOBEYED.  They were TOLD to take us all to the swamp, but instead they drove around the corner, found a car parts shop and arranged for the battery to be waiting on the jumped-off car when it arrived.  AAA was way too slow and sometimes driving around the corner, literally, solves the answer.  We all were able to go to the swamp at the same time. Go Jim and Rob!

We should have known what it was going to be like when the sign at the swamp entrance read, "WE CAN NOT CONTROL INSECTS ON ANY GIVEN DAY.  THERE WILL BE NO REFUNDS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS OUT OF OUR CONTROL."

Ok.

Well, the horse fly population was OUT OF CONTROL.  Seriously.  And I might as well be a walking fly tape to any flying/biting bug.  That part was NOT fun.  Insect repellent didn't even work.  It just made the horse flies laugh.

We saw the reptile show first.

Last time we came here I was pregnant with Brandon, 2 years ago.  Oh how my babies have grown.  Here are some pictures from 2010.

 

She was 4 1/2 and he was almost 2.  I need a moment to let that sink in.

 

Sigh.

Here we have the 18-month-old addition petting foxes and sticking his fingers in bear's and alligator's mouths.

Thank goodness for train rides and comfortable laps at nap time.

 

 

The sisters

 Pretty foliage

Silly face time on the train ride

 Mom, It's really hot!

I know honey, it's south Georgia, at 2pm in September.  I can't do very much about the temperature.

 I wish I could do this to my hair.  That looks so fun!  Thanks for modeling Aunt Niki.

A stop by Alligator Alley

 

Tickets were bought for us all to go on the river ride, but I opted to take care of Brandon inside the air-conditioned, biting fly-free gift shop.  It was no picnic there either, trying to keep an 18-month old from breaking everything, but my skin was so thankful.

 River Ride 2012

River Ride 2010

 

 

We left the fly-infested swamp and headed down to St. Augustine.  Our family reunion/vacation ended with a walk on the beach.  LOVED IT!

Uh, CUTE!

 

Wasn't a big fan of the waves.

Mommy exercise.

I love watching toddlers explore sand.

And watching "schoolers" collect shells.  (So she's not a baby, toddler, pre-schooler or teenager.  What do I call her other than mine?)

Thanks Bamah and Papa for a great trip!  Making Memories.