family reunion

My surgeon strongly advised against it.

After all, I was just 4 days post emergency appendectomy.

The risk for blood clots increased the longer you sat (think 9 hours in a car.)

I really shouldn't have gone.

BUT

We kind of have this rule in our house.

You just don't miss an Allred Reunion.

Especially when that reunion is on the beach.

And so, I packed up my pain pills, put on my comfy pajama pants and hopped in the car.

Growing up in an extremely small family, I never really had a concept of extended family.

Now, thanks to the amazing Allred extended family, I have a concept and a very good one at that.

There is not a better group of people in all the world.

We had a glorious 4 days reuniting with the ones we love.

Due to my medical condition, my sweet husband rented me a big motor home so I could rest, be comfortable and sleep well.

Okay, in reality he got this before I even had my surgery, because he knows I don't do tents.

I love him for that.

We so enjoyed early morning walks on the beach.

And being with cousins and second cousins and possibly third cousins that we don't get the opportunity to see very often.

We so enjoyed playing in the sand and the water ALL day...

...every day!

We really enjoyed creating sandcastles for the big sand castle contest.

The winner.

It wasn't ours.

We flew kites.

We played games. We sang around the campfire. We had contests. We did crafts. We learned family history. We crooned tunes.

We were dirty and sandy and tired.

And we were happy.

Really happy that we had thrown caution (and my health) to the wind and had come.

I enjoyed all of these activities from the comfort of my lounge chair. I was well taken care of. At one point, as I sat lounging, I looked around at this tremendous site. I saw my kids, and all the other kids running around from grown up to grown up. Getting some sunblock here, some crackers there, a little treat here, a quick hug there. I imagined that this would be what heaven is like. Surrounded by your great extended family. Connected. Eternal. No worries about not being accepted. No cares about what you're wearing or who you know or if you will fit in. Just acceptance and love. They could go to anyone and they knew they would be listened to. They knew they would be loved

.

And I soaked it all in.

These are the Aunts and Uncles I never had.

These are the cousins I had always longed for.

They are my friends. They are my family.

You just don't miss an Allred reunion.

And now you know why!