Family Reunion 2008

Brian and I arrived in West Virginia on Friday July 25th. We were invited to his cousin Robin's house for dinner. She is married to a great guy and WONDERFUL cook, Jim. He has made dinner for us for 4 years now and every year he makes this vegetable/sausage side dish that is out of this world! This year he made two pots worth and I don't think there was much left over after everyone got a hold of it. I know over the course of the evening I had to have had at least 3-4 servings of it. This year Robin and Jim got me the secret incredient for my birthday so that I could go home and make it myself. The secret ingredient being ham flavoring. Brian recently made it for the first time and it was awesome!


Robin and Jim


Ron, Mary, Dave and Dorothy (Brian's parents and Uncle and Aunt)

Saturday was the family reunion at the local park where we ate, socialized and participated in the raffle. Brian won a couple of prizes this year: a basket filled with home grown vegetables and an old family photo of his dad with his siblings and parents. There was also a hayride, but we opted not to ride this year. The reunion concluded at the family farm where there was a large bonfire to grill hotdogs and marshmellows. There was also roasted corn, which was soooo good.


Brian with his cousins Tracy and Robin


Family


Hayride


Bonfire


Hayride arriving at the farm (Cousin Tracy and his son Jackson)


At the bonfire

We were invited over to Brian's Aunt Bonnie and Uncle Nelson's house for dinner on our final day in West Virginia. Bonnie prepared a wonderful meal of stuffed bell peppers and corn on the cob. Later on Bonnie and Nelson's kids came over along with their children and we all sat around and talked and watched the kids play. Bonnie surprised me and Brian by giving us the "Young Reunion 2007" blanket that she won in the raffle last year. She knew that we really wanted to win it last year and again this year (Brian's cousin Julie won it this year). She said that we could have it since she hadn't used it since she won it and also because Brian is one of the last in the family to carry on the Young name. You do not know how EXCITED I was to get that blanket. I use it all the time and it's one of the softest blankets I've ever had. Thanks again Aunt Bonnie!


Brian holding the blanket

Kentucky Birthday

We left for our long drive to West Virginia on my birthday and stopped outside of Louisville, Kentucky for the night. The hotel receptionist suggested a "great Mexican restaurant" just down the street, so we decided to eat there for my birthday dinner. We should have known that Kentucky's idea of great Mexican food is a lot different than a Texan's idea of Mexican food, but we were both so tired from the drive that any food would do at that point. The food was nothing to write home about, but it was better than Mexican Inn, whose idea of chips and salsa is fritos and ketchup!