Lawrence family reunion 2011!

We had our Lawrence family reunion the last weekend in July here in Nashville. The last reunion we had was probably in 2002 but I can't really remember. We have had several weddings and new additions since then which serves as some reunion time too. I had not seen a lot of people since our wedding in January 2006. I may be a bit biased but we do have the most fun family. :) ...really! If only we all lived closer to each other! Everyone embarked on the journey by driving from Michigan, Oklahoma, Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida from both families (my mom's 6 siblings and my granddad's 7 siblings).
Thanks to Wendy Tate Photography, we were able to get a big group shot of everyone, nearing 100 people! I am not sure we will attempt something like that in the future with all the chaos...but at least we were able to get some really great group pictures and family pictures. Hats off to Wendy, she did awesome accommodating everyone!
All of my mom's siblings and families arrived on Wednesday and left Sunday. We grilled out at the park on Thursday, a pool party on Friday, and a gathering/lunch with granddad's siblings and families on Saturday. It was jam packed full of fun! We hung out at the hotel and talked and laughed and watch the kids run around. Oh how I wish we all lived close!

the whole Lawrence crew (mom's 6 siblings & families and my granddad's 7 siblings & families)

our family picture, it was hard getting anna kate to sit still, she wanted to be doing whatever caroline was doing

for example, she wanted to stand like caroline in this one, we ended up with smiles :)

mimi and granddad with all of us

the girls

granddad and kay and my mom and her 6 brother and sisters -

lou (left), cathy (my momma is the oldest), lana, lori, lisa, linda, and larry (right) - the best of aunt and uncles :)

me, momma, and baby

We had Granny White Park rented out for one afternoon, one of the hottest days, but we all had a blast. We grilled out for dinner, played on the playground, chalked up the sidewalks, played basketball, did water balloons, stood in front of the 1 big fan, rode trikes & power wheels, and enjoyed the best of company! This was the only day I took pictures. Have I mentioned we have the "funnest" family? :)

Caroline, so so proud of her water balloons. She tried to "get mommy" several times. Anna Kate was so careful with her water balloon.

granddad and kay

all the girls and some kids - from left to right -

hana & her girls lillian and rosalee, ellie (melissa's oldest), katelyn, kendra, joanna & natalie/kennedy, robyn, ashley, me & the girls, keeli & baby ali, amanda, melissa, amy, and kim (little lou's wife) with baby avery

all the boy "cousins" - all but 6 are my cousins

from left to right - moses (hana's hubby), little joe, kyle, tyler, mike, scott, joel, ryan, mike(amy's hubby), rob (melissa's hubby), little lou, chad (amanda's man :), josh (keeli's hubby), and then my hubby :)

my anna kate, lovin some chalk

caroline, me, and keeli and baby ali asleep

i like the action shot of natalie riding her bike under uncle justin

the brave boys that tackled a basketball game in the heat

great granddad helping kennedy ride the scooter

keeli and baby ali :) love you kiwi

my little monkey ;)

What fun memories!! I love my family! Now I just need to get them to all move to Tennessee! :)

the lake

we have been to the lake quite a bit this summer, but these are the only pictures i captured while close to the bank one day. while waiting on a boat ride, we swam with the girls and daddy pulled them around in the extra float. he did take both girls on a tube ride a couple of times and they were both so brave and had a blast. i opted to sit out this year with little bit within. :) it is not the easiest thing getting a pregnant momma in a regular life jacket. :)

anna kate was still a little young last year when we went out on the lake, but this year she loved it and was quite the trooper (if caroline likes it, anna kate will like it....generally)

granna and the girls out swinging on the porch - caroline was trying on all of justin's grandpa's old hats

BEACH

this is the life

beach trip - june 2011

we took our annual summer beach trip in june this year. sad we won't be able to make our october trip like usual, but instead we will be getting to introduce our sweet sissy to the fam! :)this time mimi, uncle joel, aunt joanna, and natalie and kennedy joined us. we stayed at a new place and it was in blue mountain beach - down from seaside and grayton beach. we all stayed in a 3 bedroom condo and it was nice and open and had lots of room. a somewhat funny sidenote on the place we stayed (the place with all the gates and codes and keys!).....first, you had to have a (hotel looking) key to get in the building and then another key to get in your room. they give you 2 total. to get to the beach, you must first go through a gate with a code to get to the pool, then another small gate fence to get into the pool. then you had to go through another small gate fence to get out of pool and then another gate with a code to get down to the beach....we sort of felt like we were in a prison...ha! it was a bit comical lugging coolers, chairs, bags, and 4 little kiddos thru the 4 gates - opening and closing each time.. there was no way someone from the outside was getting in, needless to say. our fam left on a thursday afternoon and got in around 11 or 1130 that night. we did not think to look at the gate code at that late hour on the reservations, so we stood at the gate on the beach walkway trapped from going down to the beach at midnight! it wasn't the greatest end of a long drive, late at night, at a new place, feeling lost, and feeling locked out of the beach.....it is always a learning experience staying somewhere new isn't it? :) stick with what you know!

mimi and the rest of the clan joined us on friday and we had a fabulous time, enjoying the sandy beaches, eating out, and playing with cousins. i am so thankful for a wonderful family. i feel blessed beyond measure! thank you Lord for wonderful family, good health, no sicknesses, and beautiful weather!!

natalie and kennedy brought these cute little chairs that all the girls loved

caroline and anna kate loved just sitting in them in the sand having the water rush up to them, they would just sit there and kick those little legs over and over in the water

they are our little beach bums....it did, however, take anna kate a little more time this trip to get use to the sand. she was so funny, she did not want to put her feet down and cried and begged to be held, but she would always warm up to it and loved it. we are beach people. we don't go to the beach to spend all our time at the pool. that is just us. so it may take some time to warm up to.....anna kate......but we weren't about to leave the beach just because she didn't like it the first 20 min! you are forced to like the beach in our fam :) one of the castles they helped build

showing some love

in front of another castle

sissy getting sleepy on mimi

mimi and the girls - anna kate and her upside down glasses. if her sunglasses aren't upside down, then her shoes are probably on the wrong feet :)

i always love a rear end shot....daddy and sissy going for a walk together

caroline helping uncle joel with the castle

caroline and natalie seeing what needs to be done on the castle (mound)

a picture i had to include of the best guy, hubby, and daddy :)

the cuties dressed and ready for the beach

caroline, kennedy, and natalie hanging out on the couch after a long day beach bumming it - it always felt like sub zero in our condo after a long day in the sun

daddy and his love bugs

a hot, foggy camera trying to warm up to the beach

us with joel and joanname, hubby, and no name #3 :)only family shot the whole trip - we didn't even consider attempting to do a big group shot on the beach this time - maybe next year!

caroline fascinated with her footprints

daddy, anna kate, uncle joel, and kennedy venturing out into the wild - the waves were so huge the entire trip, we had to really be careful... much bigger than usual. the waves were taking daddy and joel under they were so rough. the beach was so beautiful! what a fun trip!