ketchup

Eek, time to play catch-up with the blog.

June brought our first Smith family reunion, the Maurice and Mattie Memorial Ice Cream Social and Fishing Expedition in McComb, MS. It was overall a great success, with 41 people attending. Our hq was Villa Jenny, only a few blocks from the old Smith home on Missouri Ave. It was the ideal setting for our event, with 4 bedrooms/baths upstairs and tons of living space downstairs, as well as a pretty back yard with gazebo and a fully equipped kitchen (for Zannah!).

Friday night was hectic, crazy, funny: too many people arrived just about all at once, more than we expected so there wasn't enough food. A couple of trips to Popeyes Chicken took care of that though! Saturday morning we met up at the Best Western breakfast room, then ALL headed out to Percy Quin State Park for the fishing expedition.
Old and young, large and teeny, we sat in the shade or fished from the pier. KWS was the only one who caught any fish, two babies who we sent back to their moms.

We ended up going to Golden Corral for lunch, which worked out very well. Many of us said that it was the best GC we had even been to, and it certainly delighted the kiddoes.

Back at the Villa, adults lounged and shared stories, kids ran around the back yard and attempted to make ice cream in a special rolling ball. Eventually it was time to eat (AGAIN) so we went up the road to Justin's on the Lake in Summit for fried catfish.

Sunday morning most of us met at GC again for the breakfast/brunch buffet, which was pretty amazing. Then it was time for some to head home, others to enjoy the hotel pool before check-out time.

So. Was it worth the work and planning? Totally! Do I want to do it again? Absolutely.

pros: all nine cousins of my generation together for the first time since (none of us can remember when!); seeing tiny new family members; getting to know the next generations better; hearing stories; making new memories
cons: unnecessary drama from one person who thinks the world revolves around her