Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Home again, home again...

What a week! We just came back from a family reunion in beautiful Broken Bow, Oklahoma. It was a week of firsts. First family reunion. First time in OK. First time on a jet ski. First time in a canoe. First time to go down a waterfall in a canoe. (Did I mention that I was not in the canoe at the time of said waterfall?) We had so much fun!!

It rained on us a lot, and we had a few bumps along the way, but I am so glad we went. We have not stopped talking about our adventures.

I came back a little early Friday with my mom to squeeze in my chemo treatment. The round went very well, and my counts were good. I have another round Thursday and then I am off for a week.

Today, my new furniture is being delivered!! Our recliner broke a few weeks ago so that the footrest will not come up. I have a hard time sleeping at night, so I use that chair a lot. Jake took me out looking for a new one before our trip to Oklahoma. After several hours of looking and sitting in every chair in the store, I fell in love with a chair and ottoman that I could sink into for days. It is a blessing that we are able to buy a new one.

Here are a few of over 500 pictures taken last week!

The Kaylor family of 5 in Oklahoma.


An example of shopping for breakfast for 32! (This was just the trunk; we also had the back seat and each of our laps fllled with bags.)


4 generations: Grandma and Grandpa, daughter Judy, granddaughter Hope, and great-granddaughter Ella Grace.


This is only half of our group in the kitchen at any given time!


Zander with a smore, our favorite dessert in Oklahoma. Some liked their marshmallows charred, others slightly brown. Either way, it was a sticky, gooey, yummy concoction we enjoyed several times.


Ella in her first swimsuit! Too cute!


Several went on a morning hike. Jadyn and Kaylee loved seeing the baby deer and turtles. Also on the hike, Jake, cousins Mark, Ryan and Austin, and uncle Gene (taking the picture!)


Jace is laughing so much now...and he is ticklish too!


The life and death canoe adventure! It was hard to maneuver among the rocks, aka boulders. However, Sandy and I, when faced with an open lake of nothing but ONE rock in the middle of the water... hit the rock! Our group took out 8 canoes. The name of the canoe company was "Ambush Tours" which was a fitting name as we were taken to the top of the lake, told to follow it to the end and given NO instructions at all. If this were an episode of Survivor, (which it seemed like as we canoed the last 30 minutes in pelting rain and thunder and lightening)...Sandy and I would be voted off the island! It was a true bonding experience.






Katelyn and her Grandma!



Jadyn drew a picture of our cabin, complete with a porch swing and hot tub. We had our own cabin, but the girls spent the night almost every night with a different cousin, aunt or grandma in thier cabins.


Swimming back in Texas: we take up half of the country club pool.


We might look like ants, but this is all 32 of us! I am so blessed to have such a big, loving family!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm jealous, can I be a McNutt? what a great way to celebrate being a family, taking time to be together and definitely making memories. My first water rafting trip was with my great uncle in Pennsylvania when I was 13. We both went out on the first set of rapids! We laugh and retell the story every time we get a chance. Love you bunches my Kaylor famiy!
Carrie P

Anonymous said...

You forgot the one set of directions we received - 'Stay to the right of the waterfall', or was it the left? Either way, I think the majority hit the rock in the middle. Not something I am going to experience again any time soon!

Thanks for the laughs Jess. Love to all.

Aunt Janette

Amy said...

What fun! We loved reading all about your adventures in Oklahoma. Remind me to tell you about the time that Lynne and I floated the river in Sunriver and missed the point where we were supposed to land the boat. :-)
We are SO looking forward to your upcoming visit! Can't wait to see you and introduce you to Paul!
Love,
Amy

Anonymous said...

Is Paul Sprout? Although I loved the Sprout reference, congratulations on Paul!

Janette Y