Collins Reunion

The Collins reunion is one of the highlights of my summer. I love this place and I love these people! I  always make sloppy joes for the first night. It is easy to make and easy to keep warm as people are people are arriving throughout the evening. Ryan helped warm it up and get it ready to serve. Doesn't he look thrilled? He was a lot of help and I was grateful.

Landon and his kids came this year for the first time and it was SO MUCH FUN for me to have them there. We weren't planning on swimming the first night, but the kids really, really wanted to, so we let them. That's what we're here for, right?

It stays light longer in the evenings here than it does in Colorado, and these kids swam until almost 9 pm. They loved every minute of it.

Britta, Kade, and Ryan are only staying one night. Giancarlo (Kade's friend that he grew up with, and Ryan's roommate) is getting married Saturday and they are going back to Logan for the wedding, so they made sure to get in on the games the first night.

Gordon's family also gamed it up.

We were in charge of breakfast Friday morning. Ryan's job was making the French toast batter which involved cracking a log of eggs.

Landon was the cooker of the French toast,

and Britta and Kade scrambled some eggs. It was a tasty breakfast!

I couldn't wait to paddleboard!

We bought two inflatable boards last summer and never used them, so I was excited to see how they worked. We have an electric pump, so that makes it easy. It was so nice to have Landon and Ryan there to help pump them up and Tanner drove them down to the lake for us.

We had a great time paddling around! Judi, Megan, Tara, and Vanessa were so nice and offered to watch Dagny and Lincoln in the pool so we could all paddleboard together. Landon and Ryan used ours, and I used a hard board that Six Lakes has. 

Britta and Kade rode together on one board. It was so much fun to paddle around and talk.

Lunch time! There's always lots of good food and treats!

Dagny and Raigen got to know each other and had fun. Kids always make friends so fast, quite often I envy that ability.

Lots of sitting around the pool and talking while the kids swim.

Some of my favorite people just relaxing and visiting.

Afternoon card game break when it gets too hot to be in the sun.

Playing Sleeping Queens and eating snacks.

Dagny

Troy's family enjoying the pool.

Never too early to start loving the pool! Morgan's baby Renlee does some splashing.

Tara had this cute floatie that everyone loved. Raigen spent a lot of time swimming in it,

and so did Dagny. Isn't this the life??

Troy was lucky to get pulled around by Lincoln.

Dagny and Lincoln had a blast swimming with Britta and Kade.

Kade is always so much fun, no wonder the kids all love him so much. 

Mom never gets tired of holding the babies. She is lucky to have so many great grandkids.

Denya came on Friday afternoon, and we went paddleboarding again Saturday morning after breakfast. We took Dagny and Lincoln with us this time. They had fun dipping their hands in the water and dangling their legs off the sides, and Lincoln even tried standing up. It's hard to see Lincoln because he is right in front of Landon, but he is standing up.

Harper got her own paddleboard a couple of years ago. This is one from Six Lakes, not hers, but she is really good at paddling and went all around the lake. I'm excited for Dagny and Lincoln to learn how to do it in the next couple of years.

We had a great time playing Headbanz. The kids were good actors and guessers. Some of the things they came up with were quite amazing when they were acting.

Lincoln loved this! Thanks Wayden, for the ride.

All the kids love the pool. They would get in each day not to long after breakfast and stay in until we made them get out to take a break to eat, play games, and come out of the sun for a while. Late afternoon they were back to the water, and then again after dinner. I think we have fish for kids!

Mom and Gordon catch up with some visiting.

There was a volleyball net for the pool this year. A couple of times the adults took over the pool and played some intense games. There were some amazing serves and hits,

along with lots of laughing and cheering. It was a fun addition to the reunion.

I didn't play, but it was fun to watch Landon and Denya join in.

Glenda's family did a Mexican dinner. They cooked food in a crock pot all day and it smelled so good! And it tasted as good as it smelled!

Denya left to go home Saturday night and Lincoln was so sad when she left. One of the things I love about having a big family is seeing the relationship between the younger aunts and uncles (Denya, Britta, and Ryan, and now Kade too) with the grandkids. The little kids sure love them, and get so excited whenever they get see them. 

Another super fun Collins reunion is in the books! I love Six Lakes and I love the Collins family. Steven and Susan didn't come this year, their trailer has a leak, and we missed them. I love the memories we make at this place and the love that we share. 

 The Collins family doesn't know my grandkids at all, and I loved showing off Dagny and Lincoln. They are so cute and charming, and have so much personality. Everyone remarked on how cute they are and how well behaved they were. I hope they come again! And maybe one of these years we'll get Wade to come again and Austin too.