Barnes Family Reunion 2012- “The year of the babies”

Let me first just state a disclaimer to this post: my brain is a bit more wishy washy than normal this summer. We bought a house and are having it remodeled (these type of things never go as planned), we are trying to move into said house, and I decided to start a full blown preschool out of my home this fall. That said I was not my normal picture taking self- I missed many great moments this year and looking at what I did get makes me wish someone had kicked me and said, “snap out of it Mandy!” Oh well, you get what you get.

This year our side of the Barnes crew brought 4 new babies to the gathering. Maggie & Levi have twins, Eli & Molly. Daniel & Jessica have a little girl, Emerson. And Seth & Michelle have a little boy, Grant (the youngest at about 5 weeks old). We ended up renting a beach house to sleep in so that all the things that happen with babies may be made a tad easier than while camping. However, we still spent a bunch of time at the campground with the rest of the Barnes crew.

Here’s the whole crew (missing Daniel & Jessica and kids…they didn’t get the memo it was picture time) If my math is correct we had 21 adults and 21 kiddos in all!! 

  The men figuring out the grill at the beach house.

  The cousins gathered round to watch “Nacho Libre” on a whoppin 7 inch screen! And… they loved it!

For dessert one night we made brownies and had ice cream and warm brownies…yummmm! Here’s the cousins lovin’ every bite.

 

Just like every year we went out for our annual clam dig. This year was a bit different though because we walked down to the riverbed in a different area than we have ever gone before. Below is the crew walking down to the river.

  Here’s a few pictures of everyone clam diggin’ away!

Brace yourself for my LONGWINDED story of why Graham & I did not dig clams this year.

Graham and I, although we had fully intended to dig- bought the license and all, we did not dig. You see the “walk” down to the riverbed proved to be quite the challenge. It was not just muddy, it was the worst kind of thick mud you can imagine. The kind where if you have one misstep or simply hesitate taking your next step then you begin to sink and before you know it you are up to your knees in the thickest mud you can imagine.

Now being the trooper that I am and being Graham’s first time digging…we trudged on. We got stuck a few times, his boot got stuck without him realizing and he walked right out of it into the mud with his socks, we had to be dug out of one particularly bad sticky spot. After all that we still had smiles on our face and a good attitude…okay I did…Graham, not so much. He had had enough of this thick gelatinous goo threatening to swallow him whole- so I picked him up. As I tried to walk through the muck carrying him- I’m sure I was a sight to see, stopping every step to pull with all my might with my leg of my previous step which was sinking ever so quickly into the endless muck.

One step in particular sealed our fate. I couldn’t get one leg out, and while I was trying the other one began to sink as well, I fell to my knees dropping Graham into the unforgiving muddy abyss…and on that note we gave up! I said to myself… “this is not worth it. There are 20 other people digging out there happily (who somehow made it through this muck), we always get more clams than we can eat, I am never much help digging anyway because I’m trying to take pictures & watch my little ones (so as they don’t get swallowed by the menacing mud!). So, I GIVE UP! I SURRENDER TO THE MUD, YOU BEAT ME!”

I somehow got us out of that spot, we took a short walk to someone’s private property, hiked up their steps (ignored the no trespassing signs they had posted every 3 feet), walked along their private drive, and back to our cars… only to find them all locked up. Below is how Graham & I spent our time while everyone else dug. CONCLUSION: For the future I do not go clamming unless we boat to the clam dig spot, mud is not my friend!

We chilled in the back of Posh’s truck and ate some granola bars I had stashed in my sweatshirt pocket. We took silly pictures of ourselves We found sticks and whacked at the bushes. These sticks turned into “light-sabers” and we fought each other. They then turned into hiking sticks as we explored around the private property and walked back to the scene of our mud crime and took some pictures of the faithful diggers off in the distance In Graham’s words… “Clamming is fun!”

Back at the campsite we walked out to the old homestead and listened to Uncle Pat, Uncle John & Posh tell stories. This is one of my favorite parts of the reunion. These brothers are great story tellers, just like their dad, and it is so entertaining to listen to them. I wish I had brought a video recorder…next year for sure. (note Wyatt about to pour water on Hannah’s head- I caught ya red handed buddy!)

Some of the boys (Hyrum, Lance, Carson, & Graham) watching the baby fish in China Crick. One of our crafts was making marshmallow shooting guns. You fit the pieces of pvc pipe together with different connectors, decorate it with duct tape, and voila! Load your mini marshmallows and shoot away! The kids (and some adults too!) had a blast with it. I’m pretty sure the campground staff were not appreciative of the million mini marshmallows left behind in the wake of the fun. However, we did not leave too many behind on our departure…because I think I can still to this day pick up my shoe and find another marshmallow stuck to the bottom…shoes clean up sticky marshmallows very well! The marvelous sand box at the campground…hours of entertainment in one little area- love it! Posh, Anna, Uncle Pat & Seth= some of the clam frying crew. Serious business here folks- no time to look at the camera :)

This year we had our first annual Barnes family talent show. MC’d by Posh. Any and all “talents” were included and boy were we a talented bunch! Rev up for next year Barnes’. I didn’t get pictures of every talent but I got quite a few…

 

Lucy’s talent- “fortune telling by reading the sole/soul of your shoe.”  Carson’s talent- a magic trick- he eats a piece of paper and it comes out of his ear! Speaking of ear, Emmitt’s talent is- he can fold his ear into itself and it stays!Wyatt, Sterling and Hyrum sang a song- “Good night sweetheart, well it’s time to go…” Boy bands watch out, these kids are good!! Kelly and her daughter Edi juggled lemons Uncle John and his amazing “Presley"!”Jodi can not only touch her nose with her tongue, she can pick her nose with her tongue. Brings a whole different light to the saying, “you can pick your nose and you can pick your friends, but you can’t pick your friends nose.” EEEWWWW! The Brothers can make an amazing galloping sound with their tongue. A talent passed on from their dad. AND although she was too shy to get up there, Hannah can do it too! They also told a story. Gramma ended our show with a bang- a big sing along complete with Jodi & Mackenzie doing “head, shoulders, knees & toes.” Daniel & Jessica made up some great prizes for all that participated, they were so clever!   More crafts! We decorated beach bags! And now they all have something to keep their beach treasures in :) BEACH TIME!!! We lucked out with weather this year, everyday was beautiful & sunny and a high of around 70 degrees. Saturday it got up to 76- amazing!! We took advantage and went to play in the water and sand. Above is Carson, Lucy and Hannah running away from the waves. This wave caught him!Graham preferred throwing rocks into the little river to the side.   Some of the bigger cousins bug a huge hole they called their “hot tub".” 

The last night we gathered around the fire at the beach house and ate s’mores.

 

Every year I am sad to leave and find myself wishing my siblings & their families all lived right next door, how I wish we could hang out and have this much fun all the time! But alas, real life strikes and we go our separate ways. I love you all and can’t wait to see you all next year!