July 2012 - Family Gathering...

July brought our annual family gathering at Mom & Dad's in Binghamton...   It's one of the few times out of the year that we're all together for a few days... 

Now that Owen is big enough, he can drive Grandpa's tractors himself... which he wants to do... every day... multiple times a day...  :)   He's so happy driving around the back field.

Bailey being attentive to something.

The week before our get-together, Mom and Dad held their annual "cousin's camp"... where they take all the school age kids and do all sorts of activities based on a theme.  This year was about the Wild West, and they learned so much about both cowboy and indian life in the old west.  Building structures, cooking over a fire, riding horses...  All of the kids had so much fun and look forward to their new theme every year...

Here's Owen receiving his handkerchief...

And the kids singing "Home on the Range" to all the parents...

The camp gang...

Drum songs as Indians...

Each of the kids chose a name that they liked that told a story about themselves.  Owen picked Little Knife...  Writing this so many months later, I can't remember why he picked this name...

Owen roasting a marshmallow.  First he thinks it's great to start them on fire, then blow it out... much to our concern and amusement... and then there's that tongue.

Molly and Aunt Sarah....

Allison and Mary around the campfire.

It was hot in July, even in Binghamton, so we had a blow-up pool for the little kids... which they loved.

Grandma whispering something to an adoring Molly.

Me and my little girl...

So we try to do a family picture every year.  Sometimes it's a little crazy, but we managed to pull it off this year.  It helps with most the kids getting a little older...

We added a silly picture and it turned out great!  Some of us liked this one the best!  :)

Proud Grandparents...

And for some family shots...  My sister Jessica, her husband Sam and their children Lydia, Amelia and Eli.

My brother Seth, his wife Mary and their children Alyssa, Ellie and Riley

And my sister Sarah and the gang...

Our ladies...

Saturday afternoon, some really crazy clouds rolled through.  The contrast of shapes and forms was stunning.

A timeless favorite that we must indulge in when we're in Binghamton.

Allison and Molly in a quiet moment.

Owen saw this picture and referred to it as "THE FEAST".  Yummy summer food that we all love.

Owen and his little buddy Eli.

4th of July, so Grandpa does a small fireworks show and we let all the kids burn off untold number of sprinklers... They love it and look forward to it every year.

Grandpa and Molly tickling toes...