...was great! This post is a week late, but as the saying goes, better late than never. Now I could post some photos I shot of the beautiful scenery and landscape to try and capture the weekend, but in all honesty it wasn’t the setting or the activities that made it great, it was the people I shared it with. From start to finish the weekend was filled with fun shared with family and friends.
It kicked off with a 3-hour iPod fueled music fest on the drive to Oneonta with my dear cousins Tana and her daughter Maya. The car’s acoustics along with our incredible singing voices left us ready for the next American Idol auditions, or at the bare minimum ready to join in the karaoke scheduled for the next evening’s party.
The main reason for the annual Labor Day get together is to celebrate three family birthdays which fall in a row on 9/1, 9/2 and 9/3. The joint birthday party which we celebrated on Saturday evening, equipped with a DJ and karaoke, was a booming success. Tons of food, drink, music, and laughter.
Over the rest of the weekend, I got to enjoy a spin on a quad, to take a peaceful hike in one of the beautiful fields that comprises part of my cousin's property, and to sit by a crackling campfire under the glow of the moon and stars. After some urging from Tana, I even played volleyball (badly), which I hadn't done since gym class in high school. My serve was decent, it was just everything else that sucked. Lucky for me, not only were my cousins and their friends very understanding, but my team was seemingly filled with pros and their skill more than made up for my lack of it.
Thanks to my cousin Susa I also laughed like I hadn’t laughed in over a year. The kind of laughter that leaves your sides aching, and has the lingering aftereffect of leaving a stupid smile plastered on your face for the rest of the evening.
Lastly, I had the pleasure of spending time with some of Tana and Rodger’s (her hubby) closest friends, Chris and Rachel (and their kids) and Kenny. After getting to know them a little better, I see why they’re such an important part of their life. They were kind and funny, and a blast to be around.
I had a wonderful time which I hope to be blessed to be able to repeat next year.
