The Van Leuven's: our 4th of July weekend started with tears and ended with a BANG!

we headed off to miracle hot springs for the jones family reunion. it was my aunt teena's turn to plan the entire event.

i was feeling so sad that i didn't get to talk to my sister before we left, because there was no cell service there.

(she told me earlier they couldn't afford to come to the reunion)

mind you, this is not when the tears started.

so i texted her a little sorry, but i will call you monday note.

made me feel a little better.

i was SO excited to see all my family. reunions are the best.

so we were going to go with my mom. but she was really stressed and wanted to wait.

anyway, we were over half way there and i missed quite a few calls.

it all started to sound a little strange. my mom all of a sudden wanted to come really bad?

and my sister didnt ever get my text? her phone was out of service.

i said to ryan, wouldn't it be awesome if daegan and charlie were there? (sister and her husband)

he was like, "i wouldn't get your hopes up"

but there was something for sure fishy about this whole business.

anyway, we both had to find the bathroom before we went to tell everyone hello. but sierra met us over there. she seemed in a big hurry to get us over to the group.

so we walked over.

and i saw charlie and foston walking around.

WHAT?!!!!!!!!!!

i screamed and yelled and ran and cried (hence the tears). and picked up foston and swung him around.

i knew it. i had a gut feeling.

THEY WERE HERE!

they made it to the reunion. it was a surprise.

the best surprise!

fos was a little shook up from the startling scream and yell attack.

but he was excited.

i just hugged all of them. and i sorta forgot about anyone else being there. until i stopped the shaking.

the kids LOVED to get dirty... especially mino, she used that shovel to dump on her head.

(my little boogmister)

fos loved to play this game.

and he also loved to do this...

Lala was surprised too :)

just some of the family. not everyone was there yet.

ryan and charlie made a hamak and shaded area out of tarps.

daeg did face painting for the kidos...

while jessica painted the girls' nails red white and blue.

there was the famous slap attack with slap sticky hands...

there were relay games...

water fights and treasure hunts...

there were doggies and crocodoggles (crocodiles as mino calls them and they were actually alligators)

and LOTS and LOTS of swimming and terrible sunburns and bug bites.

this crocodoggle was laying right next to the fence when we first wen to look at it. but our cousins were telling us it was fake. but then it hissed and they pushed us to make us jump. anyway we screamed and it was freaky.

on the last day (the 4th) we all got up and had breakfast. got our stuff together and kinda chilled a little before we had to leave. i think mino wanted to lighten the mood before she and her family had to leave us. so she sang us a song.