Sunday, Monday, Happy Days

We're having another down day here in Fairfield after two days of driving to and fro. Brandon and Kate are on the couch reading, the four younger kids are in the millionth hour of playing their imaginary game of Avatar/zombie/robot. I am never happier than when my kids get into a groove like this. They spent about 3 hours the other day playing this game with nothing more than two hairbrushes as props--"zombie weapons."  

On to the family reunion report. 

After church on Sunday, my parents drove Christina down here to Fairfield and we all spent the afternoon and evening together. I made my cajun shrimp pasta dish, my mom brought cheesecake, and then we settled into several hours of wonderfully slow visiting. 

Right before they arrived, Jason had the idea to quickly cover the piano for a grand unveiling. My mom got this piano for her 16th birthday, and it's the same piano we all learned to play on. Jason and Liz inherited it when they moved to Fairfield six years ago and recently restored it since it had fallen into some serious disrepair over the years--hence, the "grand" unveiling under an old sheet and leftover Christmas bows:

Eventually, I got in there and broke out this really old book I hadn't seen in years. We sang old gospels and stuff like "What The World Needs Now Is Love", "Put A Little Love In Your Heart", and "I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing" for about an hour. We were being mocked all along, Elizabeth eventually resorting to calling us "The Traveling DoDo Birds." (I don't know what that is supposed to mean.)

 Avatar/Robot/Zombie main characters--Rebecca, Brynn, Alexander, and Spencer:

Bananagrams:

 

"Look, Mom. I'm Mary!"

More marshmallow roasting at the end of the day:

On Monday, we drove up to Iowa City again to get together with all three of my sisters, some of our combined 12 children, and my parents. Here are the kids at a chinese buffet:

Afterward we went to one of the places we always have to visit in Iowa City--the ped mall downtown. We have so many fun memories from the library/park/fountain area:

 

 

Trees, glorious trees:

There's another Whitey's at the ped mall in Iowa City. This was our third trip so far: 

My oldest sister Joanna has stuff going on for the rest of the week, so this was our last get together with them. Here's Olivia and Kate:

Will and Hannah:

 Elizabeth and Hannah:

Only two days of reunion left--waaaah!