Family Reunion Birthday Party
Family Reunion Birthday Party, You Ask?
Every year, my husband's family gets together to celebrate my mother-in-law's birthday. You never know when it will be the last one as she is getting up there in age (76 this year)...her family tends to live a long time so we should have plenty of them. It just happens that my birthday is the day before hers. I was 61 this year. We celebrated the family reunion birthday party on Easter weekend as that was the closest weekend to her birthday and mine fell on Easter Sunday.
Photo Source - Personal Photo - Copyrighted by GrandmaMarilyn DO NOT COPY or USE IT
Update On Granny
There will be no more birthday parties
April 28, 2012
Today was supposed to be Granny's 77th birthday party. She was so sick that she could not attend. Her immune system has been destroyed by the chemo she took for her lymphoma b stomach cancer. She beat the cancer but keeps getting pneumonia.
October 15, 2012
Granny died today. She was in the hospital for pneumonia again. She caught MRSA and another type of bacterial infection. Her body just couldn't fight anymore and she passed on. We had her funeral October 20, 2012. She will be missed.
Where Family Reunion Party - Was Being Held
Every year, we troupe up to a little town called Zabcikville, TX. This town is about 273 miles from where we live. We usually stay at my Sister-in-law's house but they took up the carpets and so we stayed at a motel in Temple, TX and traveled back and forth this year.
Picture was cut down from a Mapquest search.
What Was Being Served
At The Family Reunion Birthday Party
In March, we received a message telling us that we were going to have a trashcan meal supplied by my brother and sister-in-laws. We were to bring desserts. I had planned to make 2 dump cakes (cherry/pineapple and chunky applesauce/whole cranberries) to take but time ran out on me. So we ran by the local Walmart in Temple and bought a sugar-free apple pie and some cupcakes with Easter candy on them.
What is a trash can meal? A thoroughly cleaned trash can is put on a fire on top of bricks. Water is placed in the bottom of the trash can and a rack on bricks is placed on top of water. Then you add whatever raw vegetable and meat you want on the rack in the trash can to cook. Once it is done, oh my, do you have a wonderful meal.
As it turned out, we had beans and cornbread and chili dogs due to money constraints....which we can all understand in this day and age. Everyone got plenty to eat. I don't think very much was left after the horde of family got done with the food and the desserts.
Photo Source: Copyrighted by CantonRep Used with Permission. DO NOT COPY or USE IT
Aluminum Trash Cans - For your Trash Can Meal At Your Family Reunion Birthday Party
The Young Children
had an Easter Egg Hunt for the Family Reunion Birthday Party
Fun Activities
At the Family Reunion Birthday Party
Barbara, my Sister-in-law, had talked with my MIL and was told she would like to have paving stones made by each family to put in the patio she is planning to have made at her house. So Barbara had squares, flowers, circles, and the state of Texas made up so they could be decorated by each of the families. We went into the back yard after eating and each got the paving stone we had ordered. We ordered 2 state of Texas paving stones. One was to be decorated by Walter and I and the other was to be decorated by my daughter, Angel, and her two children, Tommy and Anna. Barbara supplied different types of jewel stones and other ornaments to put on the paving stones. We left them there and the grout was being applied that week so that the stones would stay.
Unfortunately, even though the family members were told not to use the plastic pieces as they wouldn't stay, many of the families did and they fell off the stones. Barbara, Rusty and my MIL were going to see what they could do about it.
Following Youtube video features pictures taken at the Family Reunion Birthday Party and uploaded to Youtube by me.
Paving Stones - Created at the Family Reunion Birthday Party
Wonderful Stepping Stone Kits - To Make As A Rememberance
Next Morning After
The Family Reunion Birthday Party
My family stayed until 1am and then headed to the motel. Hubby and I were up bright and early to go try to get him a new pickup in that area. Then we came back and grabbed Angel and the kids. We went back to Sister-in-law's for breakfast and fix the computer. From there, we left and went down to Victoria, TX where we had a immediate family dinner at my favorite restaurant. On the way, we stopped and Angel and I took pictures of a small herd of horses. We arrived home at about midnight that night and all went to bed exhausted but happy.
Photo Source - Personal Photo - Copyrighted by GrandmaMarilyn
