Families Reunited

                    I realized that I forgot to post these picks. I did the same last year so I didn't want to miss out on remembering the reunion. It wasn't a blast this year because of the intense sadness we had felt. It was hard to go and tell this story over and over again to my Aunt Miget, who has Alzheimer's. She has been more and more forgetful over the years. She is still my favorite, and always will be. I realized this year though that the whole "ssh, don't tell anyone your my favorite" might be a way for her to not have to say your name. I want to believe I'm her favorite though! I love Marks family. I really did get lucky with how awesome the extended family are. 

Mark made the long drive for us so much fun. He made us a music playlist that spanned the years of our marriage (22 years). He chose a song that was popular and relevant to us for each year we have been married. The trip down flew by! We went to Tillamook on the ways down and through Portland on the way back.

Ethan won the shopping trophy, and Charlie made the shopping rules. Anything with the letter S that reminded us of summer. Ethan chose Mindcraft sheep...done deal!! I didn't enter my find...a Sea Float for my sister. When you hold her Sea Float up to the light you can see sun beams in the middle of it. It made me think of Mike. Jill got up at 0345 in morning with me to search out glass floats in Lincoln City! I felt like maybe God would show me where one was, kind of felt he owed us one....on the other hand I found one that an artist made and he signed it and put May 2016 on the bottom! I hope Shan liked it! I miss him. It has been a crazy few days of feeling it so intensely like I did in May. I view life differently. Sometimes a little jaded but most of the time it's that I feel like nothing else matters but family, and that life experiences and being connected is what matters! 

Valerie' had a chance to show her Memorial Video debute. It was amazing, touching, and very well made!