subscribesubscriber servicescontact usabout ussite map
Tue, Nov 10 2009 

Published July 21, 2008 09:11 pm - As is the case with a lot of family events, no one seems to remember exactly what year our family summer gatherings at the lake started.
It happens. Years start to run together. Kids are born, they grow up, and the next thing you know, you’re sitting around a table somewhere with relatives trying to figure out where your hair went.
All I know for sure is that my brothers and sisters and I have been gathering at my Uncle Jim and Aunt Ev’s house at Lake of the Ozarks for “a while.”


Mike Pound: Family reunion abounds in fun



As is the case with a lot of family events, no one seems to remember exactly what year our family summer gatherings at the lake started.

It happens. Years start to run together. Kids are born, they grow up, and the next thing you know, you’re sitting around a table somewhere with relatives trying to figure out where your hair went.

All I know for sure is that my brothers and sisters and I have been gathering at my Uncle Jim and Aunt Ev’s house at Lake of the Ozarks for “a while.”

I seem to remember that my brother Mark’s daughters — Sarah and Leah — were close to my 10-year-old daughter Emma’s age when the first get-together took place. Sarah graduated several years ago from Wichita State University and is married now. Leah just graduated from the Air Force Academy. So I’m thinking the lake get-togethers have been going on for a while.

Not all of my brothers and sisters manage to make every reunion. Some might miss one because they live far away, some because of other family obligations and some because of statute of limitation issues.

Ha.

But, normally, enough of us make it to turn Jim and Ev’s house into one long, loud, funny, profane, disrespectful, nostalgic, mocking, teasing, insulting, praising, laughing, yelling, boating, sleeping, baseball-watching, kid-wrangling, beer-guzzling, barbecue-eating frenzy.

And that’s just on Friday. Things really pick up on Saturday.

We have fun at the reunion. We like to make fun of whichever brother or sister didn’t make it to the reunion. We like to make fun of whichever brother or sister slept in and isn’t around to defend himself or herself at breakfast. We like to make fun of whichever brother or sister is sitting across from us at breakfast.

We like to make fun of each other, is what I’m saying.

Emma wasn’t born when the lake reunions started. Neither were her younger cousins, Kelly and Melanie. Her other cousin, Brenna, was just a baby at the first summer bash. I think she was. Like I said, the years sort of run together.

I do have vivid memories of those reunions, despite the fact that they sort of blur together. I remember Brenna, who couldn’t have been much more than 2, laughing while I drained a cooler full of ice water, letting some of the water trickle off her hand.

I remember looking at Emma, sitting in her mom’s lap, during her first boat ride. I remember the way she grinned while the wind brushed over her face. I remember, years later, Emma bugging my wife and me to let her go tubing the first year that Brenna went tubing. I remember saying no.

I remember the first year Emma did go tubing — I had to go with her. As we climbed into the tube, I remember thinking, “I’m too old for this *&%$.”

But Emma loved it, so I did too.



print this story    email this story    comment on this story   

Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.


Add a comment on this story







autoconx
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide
Click here!!

: Special Offer For New Subscribers : 32 buy 1 get 1 free offers

Click Here!



Featured Jobs

ORTHOPAEDIC
Specialist of the Four States is currently accepting applications for the following postiions: Physical Therapist, Occcu...>MORE

See all ads

Featured Transportation

VOLKSWAGEN, 1998 BEETLE,
black, 5 speed, looks, runs and drives great, only 84,000 miles, $3400. 417-621-0850....>MORE

See all ads

Featured Homes

1995 16x72 2 BR, 2 BA,
fully furnished, all appliances, 1 owner, beautiful, smoke free, must move. $17,500. (417)423-2385....>MORE

NO CREDIT NEEDED QUALIFY
for 0 down Own completely remodeled 2/2 16x80 single section manufacturered home, 2 acres, trees, corner lot, large deck...>MORE

Deerfield Estates
in Carl Junction, prime building sites, reduced $10,000 each. 417-825-0052...>MORE

NO CREDIT
needed qualify for 0 down Own completely remodeled 3/2 16x80 single section manufacturered home, 2 acres, new front deck...>MORE

See all ads

Other Cool Stuff

BASS BOAT, 2005
Lowe aluminum, 17’, 2005 90 hp Mercury, 2006 trailer, excellent shape, low hours. $7,500. (417)776-8846 evenings or 417-...>MORE

TEA CUP
Chihuahua pup, female, shots, wormed. Information (417)843-2735...>MORE

1993 KUBOTA 1560
lawn tractor, 42” cut with bagger, $800. (417)364-8231....>MORE

CRAFTSMAN
radial 10” arm saw; skil saw 7 1/4”; Singer Featherweight machine; clocks/pocket watches; 7.62-54 rifle, accessories; Ca...>MORE

10 YEAR OLD BUCKSKIN
mare, 14-hands, broke for anyone, $750; miniature Jack and bred Jenny, $400 pair. (417)434-3700....>MORE

See all ads


 

Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.CNHI Classified Advertising NetworkCNHI News Service
Associated Press content © 2009. All rights reserved. AP content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Our site is powered by Zope and our Internet Yellow Pages site is powered by PremierGuide.
Some parts of our site may require you to download the Flash Player Plugin.
View our Privacy Policy
Advertiser index

 

 

The Joplin Globe Electronic Edition