America: Our family reunion

Last updated on November 17th, 2023 at 04:18 pm

family reunion

If you have a huge family like mine here, you will understand how hard it is to actually get us all together in one place. This isn’t even all of us either. In this photo my sister and her family hadn’t arrived yet, and two other brother’s and their families are missing and this is just our immediate family too. When Mr P first met me he came home to meet the family. What he thought was a small BBQ (to us it was) turned out to be about 50 family members showing up to meet this Brit that swept me off my feet and took me away from the US.  After seven years he is now used to the crazy clan descending on him when we visit and now wouldn’t have it any other way.

I love a big family. There is nothing more special than always knowing there will be family around and various family to support me when I need or make memories with when we get together. I hate a quiet house. A big family always ensures there is laughter and noise in the house. Even if, sometimes that means chaos, fighting and bickering. I grew up with it and that’s what I have always been used to. So when I told everyone we would be here for two month, we got as many of us together as we possibly could to make the most of it. My siblings rarely get together as we all live all over the US and me in the UK so it’s hard and expensive to do it often but every few years we have a family reunion that pulls us together and we make so many great memories together. There is always floating the river, swimming, hiking, fishing, fire pits in the evening making s’mores and more.  four generation photo

The four generation picture! I would have loved to make it five with my Grandma Dudley, bless her but I am grateful for this photo for sure. I love how my mother and her mother look so much alike and how Missy Moo and I look so much alike. family of four portrait

The four of us were having so much fun together. I love making memories together and going on grand adventures. I didn’t always get to do that growing up with my own family so I am grateful I can do it with my own kids. I hope they have many memories of summers in America to come.

I always find something new to do as a family while vacationing with my own kids too. This time it’s my new passion for biking riding together and I can’t wait to get home and possibly get a trailer for the kids to ride in. I think bike riding as a family will make great adventures to remember. We can picnic and explore all together. I can’t wait. 

sistersIn my family, I only have one sister and five brothers. Not to say I am not close to my brothers because I am! I am extremely close to them and the older I get the more our bond grows as adults too. But there is a different connection with a sister. My sister and I are nine years a part so for most of our life she was the babysitter or the boss of me. She was the one I stole clothes from and wanted to be like when I grew up. When she graduated and went off to start her life we weren’t a team as I was still a young child. But as an adult we have grown closer and when we both had boys four days a part it really closed the age gap. We went through our pregnancy together and our births together, abide the 10,000 miles distance we stayed connected via what’s app, email, phone, facetime, facebook etc. It was so great to finally get home and get to catch up with her and have the boys play together. They were so cute getting to know each other. Even though my sister and I are very different in personality and in the things we like, we are still bonded sisters and nothing will ever change that.

I love you sissy! siblings portrait

Here are the five of us together for the first time in about 12 years! Every year we gather and there always seems to be one of us missing! I come from a mixed family and do have two step-brothers that I am close to as well which are now visiting us in the US as we speak. But here are my siblings I grew up with and have the most memories with. The ones that have babysat me, changed my diapers, and help shape me into the person I am today. The ones I still run to if I need help or advice on life.

All of us are parents and that has really made us bond closer as adults. Before I had my kids I was always just the baby of the family and treated as such but I have found now that I have two of my own munchkins its a very different dynamic now. A better dynamic and I love it. 

It was great to have my parents house full of all us and our kids running and playing around. The noise was back and we were all having a great time together. Everyone has now flown to their various homes around the US and it seems sad that we all can’t live closer together and see each other more often.

I am truly grateful for this summer and that we all got together for a much needed catch up where our kids now have memories playing together.  

Linking up with Magic Moments, What’s The Story, Brilliant Blog Posts, PoCoLo.

 

16 thoughts on “America: Our family reunion”

  1. Lovely post and gorgeous photos. Being part of a big family is lovely and it’s so wonderful on those rare occasions when you can all get together. Hope you are having a wonderful time with them all 🙂

    Reply
  2. Such a heart felt post and know exactly where you are coming from. Enjoy every second, its all about making memories and these are wonderful ones x

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  3. What a sweet post and such a big family! I agree with you big families always have more fun. I was born into a very small family, but married into a big one, and now my daughter can grow up with one huge combined family. I can’t wait for her to relish the noise and the laughter, like you said, when she grows up.

    Can’t believe how many brothers you have, and just one sister! It must have been such a fun and adventurous childhood you had.

    Maria
    cmntsblog.wordpress.com

    Reply
    • Yes it was great and I have always been close to all my siblings and was worried when I grew up as we all moved so far we would stay close but we are probably closer now. That’s fantastic that your little one can have a combine family to experience. She will have such great memories with them.

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  4. This is such a lovely post!!!

    I agree about big families. I only have one sister myself, but growing up my extended family were super close….I have upwards of 50 first cousins and tons of aunts and uncles, and our gatherings were always huge.
    A lot of my cousins were very close to us, it was like having lots of extra siblings and I loved it….
    I want that for my kids too.

    These photos are just adorable!!! xxx

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    • Thanks Hayley, wow that’s a lot of cousins for a small family. But glad you got to experience and make memories with them growing up. That’s fantastic. I didn’t really like the photo of the five of us but it was the only one that turned out lol 🙂

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  5. lovely post jenny – your love for your whole family really shine through. It must be amazing to have such a big family, i really am getting quite envious of your life over there! xx

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    • Haha I am envious of my life over here. I miss it so bad. I just have to keep telling myself I get to come back next summer, hopefully every summer. What women do for love ehh? Lol

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    • If I lived in America I definitely would have at least four. The atmosphere growing up, the bonding and various relationship in between us all and all the fun as a group was SO amazing. I am sad my own kids won’t have that.

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  6. What a lovely photo of you, Missy, mum and grandma. That’s a framer for sure! I only have one sister, but we have a bit extended family and I love it, too, when we can all get together. Looks like you’re having the most wonderful time #PoCoLo

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    • Thank you Ting, We really are having so much fun. So lucky we get to spend our summers state side every year. The weather is always amazing and there is always adventures to be had.

      Reply

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