And The Clan is Gathering

Just as I published the last post on Wednesday, there was a knock at the door and Cindy, Tim, Sarah, Ron, Dan, Sue and Brandon were here to visit. They all took a tour of the RV (takes 3 seconds!) and we sat inside and out to visit. Six of us eventually went to The Alamo for dinner before we called it a night.

I woke early to rain and said a prayer that it would move south to Texas and by the time we walked across the street to the breakfast room at the hotel, it had stopped. The temperatures remain pleasant.

We found my cousin Gary and his family had arrived so a bunch of us enjoyed the free breakfast that comes with the rooms. The group manager told us we could come over too since we had such a large group booked. Afterwards people started going off in different directions with plans for their day. I took the time to check out the pavilion where we will gather Friday night and the banquet hall we will use Saturday night. Both exceeded my expectations and I can only say the staff here has been so accommodating. They anticipate our needs before we even make them known.

My cousin Keith and his family arrived and they came over to the RV. We decided to go to Cracker Barrel for lunch. Steve picked up the check which was very nice of him. Then I received a phone call that Karen had arrived and she had all the food but nowhere to go with it. By the time we arrived back at the hotel, the staff had opened the kitchen to the pavilion and we loaded the refrigerator and counters with lots and lots of food for tonight.

Then it was on to these infamous goody bags! Our truck's back seat was piled to the ceiling and Steve had brought lots more. His father, who passed away last year, had a business of personalizing shirts, hats, cups, etc. There were boxes and boxes of stuff. Ed and family arrived with the reunion shirts so it was time to put the bags together.


The staff opened the board room with a long conference table so we could set the bags up and start loading them up. While some walked round and round the table putting things in, Steve, Tim and I called off the family name and the sizes of reunion shirts that went into that bag. We have two shirts left over so we know we have screwed up somewhere. I'm sure the recipients will let us know tonight when they get their bags.

Steve and Keith also brought two boxes of shirts and we folded them and put them in stacks by size. We are going to set these out tonight so people can help themselves. I'm so appreciative of all they contributed but Steve's mother, Marie, I think is equally grateful to have removed so many boxes from her garage.

We spent the rest of the afternoon sitting around the pool as more and more of our family arrived. Eventually most went off to dinner and we finally came home where Ted promptly fell asleep in his recliner. Today will be cooking day as Cindy and I get the Cincinnati 3-way chili and coneys ready for tonight's dinner that will be followed by "make your own" sundaes. Tomorrow night will be catered.

Here are a few photos out around the pool.





I think little Noah is our youngest attendee but Sophie has not yet arrived. They were born very close together so we have to determine just who is the youngest. I believe my mother's brother's widow is the oldest at somewhere in her late 70s.