MEGA HEAT, MEGA HUMIDITY, MEGA LOVE

It has been a busy weekend, filled with heat and humidity, but overflowing with love.  Hubby's oldest brother's daughter, our niece and Godchild Tammy, has been busy for this whole year organizing a mini-reunion and huge benefit for cancer research, and this was the weekend that she successfully pulled it off!  Wow, Tammy!  It was awesome!  We are proud of you and all your hard work.  Love you dearly!

Tammy has been working all year, but things began for us on Friday evening when she and her parents hosted the reunion fun out at their farm.  Hubby and his 6 brothers were all there.

Here are the brothers.  Our host Arnold, James, Neil, hubby, David, Roy, and Gary.  Do you think they look alike?  This is the passing of the jug ceremony!  They have a Redwing pottery jug for each decade, and as each brother has a birthday they pass this jug filled with words of wisdom? from one brother to the next.  This is the decade of the 70's.  James is passing the jug to Neil who will turn 70 at the end of this year.  They continue on down the line, and once Gary turns 70, then Arnold will turn 80 and the whole thing begins again!  Crazy, but they have fun!

This handsome man is Uncle Milo, the family patriarch.   He loves family reunions, and is always in attendance.  And we love Uncle Milo.

This is the activity that keeps brother Arnold busy in his retirement.  He makes all kinds to things out of metal, signs, lawn ornaments, pictures, and other kinds of decorations and neat things.  You can see some of the lawn figures in this next picture.

There was a bean bag tournament the next day, so these guys were getting in some practice.  The second from the left is our son Chuck, who actually had to work the next day so he couldn't participate in the tournament.   

And this is another of Arnold's creations.  The younger generation sure had fun driving the car around the farm yard.

We had a huge hole in our celebration, though.  Gary's wife, my sweet sister in law Gail, is now living with Jesus in Heaven.  This is the first family get together since her death, and we missed her terribly.  In fact, the whole weekend was actually in her honor.  The ride part of the cancer cure  benefit is now named Cupcake's First Annual Ride for a Cure (Cupcake is Gary's pet name for Gail) and Tammy is a biker, and thus organized this whole thing in memory of Gail. In the extreme heat and humidity, with heat warnings crawling across TV screens and with cell phones receiving alert notifications, 85 riders took off on their 130 mile ride in great spirits, and returned several hours

later, hot, sweaty and sunburned, but safely and still enthusiastic.  The walk/run and bean bag tournaments had already taken place, and now it was time to cool off with a tall cold one and some excellent pork sandwiches and salads at the hog roast.  Dessert was cupcakes, of course.  Following this the silent auction results were announced, and then it was time for the big event,  the drawing for the motorcycle raffle.

Excitement hung heavy on the hot humid air as Gary pulled the winning ticket from the drum.  Our son Chuck was planning on his ticket being the winning one, so we took his picture with the bike ahead of time to avoid the crowds after the drawing!

He didn't actually win, nor did anyone I know win the bike, but there was a winner and he was excited and unbelieving when notified of his good luck.  Better luck next time, Chuck!

It was a fun weekend, full of family and love.  I am excited to hear the final total that will be sent for breast cancer research in honor of our beloved Cupcake.

Congratulations to Tammy on a job very well done!