Hatch reunion

This past weekend was our Hatch family reunion. We stayed at the Xona resort in Scottsdale in two 1800 sqare foot apartments. Each had four bedrooms with a living, dining room and kitchen. Each bedroom had its own bathroom and two queen beds and a flat screen TV in it. It actually fit us all pretty well. We first got there and chowed down on some pizza. Then we headed for one of the resorts four pools and splashed around for awhile. This kick started a weekend of constant eating, sleep/relaxing, lots of swimming and tons of game playing. The kids practically lived in the pool. Hunter was excited to find "gold" underneath the faux rock waterfall when he searched it with his goggles. He also enjoyed playing Marco Polo and water zombies with the older cousins. Avery and Emma were glued to Trina's daughter Kendra and always wanted to play with her. She kept her floaties on only due to Deke and I's insistance since she still can't swim quite well enough. It made us laugh that we kept finding her trying to float on her back in the "baby pool" as she called it. She loved the jacuzzi. Emma was perfectly content to trek along with daddy in her little butterfly floater. She and GG found a princess ball and had some fun playing with that. My kids are so lucky to have not only three sets of very wonderful grandparents but an amazing pair of great grandparents that are so involved with them. Kimbre and I found some goggles and relived our childhood days of handstands, somersaults and our "underwater tea parties." It was fun because there was a fountain outside of the room where birds kept coming to bathe and drink. You can imagine miss E's reaction to that. Not only were there birds but tons and tons of tiny little fluffy tailed bunnies hopping around. They would actually let you get pretty close to them. Mom carefully put Emma down and she took off after on and managed to get decently close to it. Evenings were filled with so much laughter my sides hurt. From Thursday until Sunday I didn't go to bed before 3am, I am still recovering. My cousins and I are very close, our family is very close. On Saturday night we had a very special family meeting. We had opportunity to talk and share things with one another. With all of us squished in every square inch of that living room and kitchen the spirit was so strong. Grandpa rested most of the time and we could go upstairs and visit him in his room and for short periods of time he would come down and visit with everyone. He is looking great. After our meeting Aunt Lou had brought colored Sharpie markers and we each got a chance to write a message or draw a picture for Grandpa on his "turtle shell" back brace. It was really neat. He is such a wonderful Grandpa, this has been really had for all of us. We love him so much. I love my family. I feel so blessed. To have this time with my cousins, to watch my children play with my own younger cousins. I watch them run off deep in imaginative play and think of the cousin club that I created when we were kids, not only did I create it I was president :) Monday after this was Emma three times during the day. She took three different naps, each an hour plus. All three of them I would turn around and she was out on the floor surrounded by Ariel's. I love it. All the millions of fun stories I have growing up in the family that I have. I am blessed to be born into this family. There is strength in our togetherness and I love the love and support I feel when we are together. It was such a great weekend. Love you everybody!!!