Family Bonding

While in Denver, we spent a lot of time at Grandma and Grandpa's house, just hanging out together. Here are several pictures of the family spending time together. Unless you're family, you probably don't have much interest in these photos, but I'm blogging about this as a record for myself as much as anything else.

Julia, Jonathan, Seth (Joel and Renee's second child) and Ashley (Seth's wife- they were married in January 2011)

Derek (Maile and Brad's middle child), Jourdan and Dillon (Joel and Renee's #4) (cousins).

Michael (Beth and Tim's youngest) and Jourdan (cousins).  You might notice a theme of people sitting around on chairs/couches...I don't know what to say about that...

This is the whole family (except Grandpa who was still in the hospital) on Christmas Eve. 

Jonathan (hiding behind the girls), Julia and Makayla (Joel and Renee's youngest) (cousins).

Melissa and I taking a break from helping with Christmas Eve dinner.  Melissa is Maile and Brad's oldest (and  mommy to the three little ones in  the family pictures).

Dwight (Jessica's husband), Jessica (Joel and Renee's oldest) and Jonathan (again sneaking into a picture).

Lance (Joel and Renee's middle child) holding Olivia (Melissa's youngest).

On Christmas Eve, we sat down and read the Christmas story from Luke 2 as a family.  No, the kids are not playing "Angry Birds" on the i-pod, they are reading along....we checked!

Matt (married to Beth and Tim's oldest daughter, Krystal), Dillon, Julia and Jourdan.

Brad and Joel (my two brothers - I inherited them through marriage).  I'm not really sure what's going on in this picture - I don't really want to think about it too much.

Maile with her two brothers Joel and Jonathan.  I'm also not sure what's going on in this picture, but I'm pretty sure the boys are showing their "best" sides.

Spending time together was fun.  With Beth and Tim's family living in Maine, Idaho, and Virginia....Joel and Renee's family living in central Washington and Las Vegas... Maile and Brad's family in Virginia, Georgia, Arizona, and Utah, and our family living in Washington....and Grandma and Grandpa in Denver/Wyoming.....it's hard to all get together.  I am always amazed when we get together how many of us have so much in common (even though we live so far apart - and/or have such age differences).  I think I'll keep my husband's family - I really like them!