The Ledger Reunion

I know I've done this before. BUT this year was OUR year. Every nine years it becomes your family's turn to figure out a theme, plan, decorate and put on the Ledger Reunion. This was the first year we were without Mother and we sure missed her! She took care of the 'little' details we never thought about. And she worried so we didn't have to. No kidding. I never worried about stuff until this year and I guess I just had to because she wasn't there to do it.

I think it was Kylie who thought up the Candy Land theme. It was easy to do and bright and colorful. My job was the caterer and getting RSVP's from my family had me pulling my hair out. They are true procrastinators. But my perseverance paid off - we had a great turnout. I think it was just about 100!!! We used Kolache Kitchen in Temple for our food and it was FABULOUS!! We had chicken spaghetti/lasagna, green beans, salad, rolls and then the Ledgers themselves do a dessert contest. More about that later.
Here's my Billy. With his accounting background, he was best suited for handling the money. We charge for the lunch and then we take up a donation for the rent of the building for the next year. We also sold t-shirts - he is modeling it!! Wish I had a picture of the back of it. SO CUTE!!!
Here is a picture of the tables before everyone got there. They were so bright and festive!!! That's a board game runner! Cute, huh? We have some real talent on our side. {wink}
Everybody pitches in. I especially appreciate the In-Laws!! After all they married into this madness. ha This is our Matthew with Kylie putting the last minute touches on the coloring contest table. Oh yes, the kids get into the action. We start them young.
On the left is my cousin, Debbie who won the dessert contest (that's her prize - the cupcake carrier). She made a YUMM-O carrot cake. She wins every year. Or someone in her family does. I've never won. I quit bringing desserts too. I'm not bitter.
Here's the next generation working on their masterpieces. I can't tell you how many pictures of my sweet boys that I have. You can tell by their expressions every year who won and who didn't. I have boys that pout BIG.
Here's my Mother's sweet family. This is really what keeps us keeping on. It's all about family. I know you are going to think we are so weird but we have fun at our reunions. Don't get me wrong because we are a NORMAL family. Everybody gripes and complains about going. Moans. Acts put out. Then we go and my family is working the room!!!! They crack me up.
I had to put this picture up. It makes me smile. Matt's head is shaved. Kylie's baby bump is growing! Brandon has his arm around his wife AND mother and Billy - well, he's just our rock!!! And a really cute one, don't you think? :D

Anyway, thanks for reading this crazy blog post. It will be NINE years before we have to do this again! I will be 66!!!! Sutton will be 8!!!! We started talking about that when we were cleaning up and de-stressing when everyone was gone. It made us all laugh and it was sobering. I'm totally planning to pass on the 'worry gene' to the next generation for our next 'round.'

Here's to family!!! Here's to reunions!!! And here's to the greatest reunion EVER that is to come. A reunion where Memory Tables are a thing forgotten. Where aging will be a moot point. And where we will never have to set up or clean up again! BUT do put in your RSVP - it's free to you. Just say "yes" to Christ!!! He died to grant you entrance!!!

PLAYING HOOKY

Well - did anybody miss me? It's been a while. Truthfully...it's the heat. I truly do NOT like to be hot and this summer has been the summer of record-breaking heat and exceptional drought. Sucked the life right out of me!!! So let's play catch-up.

Have been teaching my little heart out this summer. Led a group of precious women in a study of Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts at my house this summer. We had 20 ladies learning how to count it all as grace. We numbered our gifts and found great joy. What a delight those 6 weeks were!

Visited my sweet friends in Paris and my friend, Jan in Odessa. Made a new friend in Evelyn - a fellow sojourner in grief. Deepened my newer friendships in Rockwall.

My Life Group has grown like crazy this summer! I am so excited - we all are. They are the greatest group of ladies. They make everyone feel welcome, they are full of joy, they serve the Lord and our church in over 13 ministries and they love, love, love to learn God's Word. A teacher's dream. :D

Billy and I have traveled a lot and truly delight in this time of our lives. He is a great husband, friend and Dad! I adore him. He's training for the White Rock marathon right now. I think it's crazy but he is happy and so far his knees and hips are holding out! I'm on Weight Watchers. ugh Losing......o h......s o.......s...l...o...w...l...y! But I'm re-learning how to eat and gaining discipline. Not fun but it does eventually pay off. Or it better. I can handle delayed gratification but I want SOME.

Brandon and Kylie are getting closer to being parents again! C-section date is set for December 15 and our little grand-daughter is making her presence known by dancing all over her mother's tummy! Makes us all excited and happy. We're all still pretty shocked that the Kulwicki's are having a GIRL. Have a feeling that my three men are in for a major wrapping around one tiny little finger! Kylie and I are just tickled to add some estrogen to this mix!

Matt shaved his head! This might not matter to most people but considering he was so paranoid of LOSING it, for him to shave it surprised me. He still looks mighty cute to me. Has a perfect head - shape. Says his mother. Anyway...Matt plays on about six soccer teams in the Rockwall area so we get to watch him play a lot and it is so fun for us because we spent a heck of a lot of time doing that in the 90's. He is an awesome athlete!

We are in charge of the Ledger Reunion this year. Happens every nine years and is always a MAJOR PAIN but SO WORTH IT in the end. We have this huge family and this will be the 43rd reunion and our first (to be in charge of ) without our mom! She would be proud that we have persevered. Our theme is Candy Land (the board game) and I will be sure to post pics in a few weeks. That will make me blog sooner! :) We are up to 80 people registered so it should be a good year again.

This red hot summer has just been a reminder that life is all about seasons and this season has been one of rest for us. Just taking life as it comes and enjoying it to the fullest. Too hot to do much but stay in the cool and enjoy one another. Not a bad way to live!

Hope your summer has been a good one. I promise - I have a lot more to say when it's cooler. :D