The Big-Bang Reunion

The start of the cottage week when we arrived last Thursday morning, after our all-night drive, was wonderfully cool, calm and collected. Just the 5 of us. Standing on the beach looking up at the cottage (below left) was that lone memory etched in all our minds of the peace and place of Hukilau, our Hart Family Cottage. Within a couple days, some of us became what Donica called The Whirling Dervishes!

But it all had it's time and place. At one point on Sunday there were 45 of us across 3 generations. The cottage sleeps 35 on beds and couches (below left). One family of 3 was in a tent and we all made it fine, even with only 2 bathrooms. We're used to it by now. The kids of our kids are pure joy when we see them together once every year (not often enough!). But what will it be like when the oldest of them (now in high school) start having their kids within 10 years from now? God have mercy!

As the lakefront is a rallying point for family time, so is the evening meal. We all provide our own meat and a dish to pass per family unit--enough food to feed an army. So next year we may separate the evening-meal planning into half of us on any given day. Makes sense to me. Donica was the grill lady; I was the dish-to-pass preparer (here with brother-in-law Hank).

Alone time with anyone during high census was nigh impossible. I really did flit from one person to another when I wasn't taking pictures (like the one below right of Ruth with her daughter, Lesley, and my daughter, Amy). But I was able to catch almost 45 minutes with nephew Paul (below left) to get some HTML tips for this blog. One tip alone was worth the whole thing (indenting a quote) which I fully intend to use soon! How nice to have an entire generation of nephews and nieces so literate in IT and word processing! I love it.

When Donica and I left on Tuesday evening for our drive home, we were the last ones standing. An hour of calm once again. Yesterday I spent almost the entire day sorting through the 491 photos I took, trimming them down to 365 buyable prints for the family Snapfish album. But I also did a smaller album of just 80 Nicholas shots on my own PhotoSite. He was, after all, center stage for me with the fireworks and extra-curricular activities. But of course!

So until next year, we stop to breathe again. Once-a-year whirling dervishes is plenty enough!