Family Reunion Red River Style!

What a fantastic weekend. Red River is always a great time and this year was no different. Jamie headed out to NM on July 14th and enjoyed a nice 13 days in the land of Enchantment. The kids were already in NM as they had been there with their dad. Alec flew in on the 19th and spent the night with Gibby and Pappa before joining Jamie and the kids at Granny & Pops house. I had to fly in at the last moment as I could not get any more time off of work. I want to thank Granny & Pop for making it possible for me to fly. Your generosity is amazing! The kids got to hang out in ABQ and see family and take in some rays while swimming. (don't forget to click on the pictures to see the larger high res version.)

We woke up on Thursday morning ready to hit the road for the 3 hour drive to Red River. The boys took one car and the girls jumped in the other. We made great time as we did not stop until Taos. We got to red River first, so we just walked over and had lunch until the rest of the family arrived. We got our key and moved into our cabin. It is the same one we have had for three years so it felt just like home.

We had a great afternoon. The weather was nice. It was cool and sure made from a great break from the hot humid weather we were having in Texas. Marcy's husband Peter rode up on his V-strom 650. He had camped out the previous night in northern NM. You all knew that I could not have a blog entry without a motorcycle reference ..right? We all enjoyed seeing family and friends and catching up with everyone's lives. Granny's Frito Chili Pie was AWESOME! We ate too much and just enjoyed the cool mountain air. Pop and I started off with the crown and by the end of the evening, life was very very good! Yeah baby!

Friday morning came early, but we did get to take a nap later so it made it easier to get up and going. Today we were going to just hang out, eat too much and try the new tubing that had been set up by the playhouse. One thing we do is eat while at Red River. I must have gained 10 pounds but damn it tastes so good!. One of the highlights for me is getting to talk baseball with CJ. I know he is a Royals fan, but it is still fun to solve all of baseballs woes while sipping a beer. Good Times. We had hamburgers for dinner and just enjoyed a great day in Red River. It did rain in the afternoon and evening, but all that did was make it really nice for a good long nap. The kids enjoyed the day and I have to say that when we all went to bed a large smile was on all of our faces.

You can see a few videos by clicking on this link and going to the last page of pictures. That is where all of the videos are located.

After dinner we took the kids down to the playhouse to play video games, go skating and play air hockey. This is always a great way to end the evening with getting the kids all worked up. The playhouse is a great place and we all have fun playing there. I do have to announce that I kicked Jamie's ass in Galaga. Life was good.

Saturday started off really nice as it was nice and cool. There were threats of rain all day so we decided that we would do the chair lift first thing. This has become a tradition at Red River as we always take the kids up. The weather was cool, but not bad at all. The chair lift has been redone so the chairs are more comfy. The ride to the top was a good one. We reached the top and then took some family pictures before going back down the mountain.

We finished the day by doing more tubing and enjoying the wonderful weather. The evening meal was FANTASTIC! We had ribs, brisket, sausage and more. It was just a wonderful way to end the day. We all enjoyed the last evening together, telling stories and just enjoying the company of family and friends. Sunday is get away day and by 9AM most of the crew is on the road back to their homes. I had to fly back to Big D that evening, while the kids enjoyed another day in the Q.

What a great weekend. It would not be possible for us to attend this event every year if it were not for the generosity shown by Grandma Fogleman and Granny & Pop. Without their support both emotionally and financially these family memories would not be possible. We love you all with everything that we have. You make our lives so much better. Again we can't express how thankful we are for all of your support!

We are already planning on next years event. The dates are set for July 14-17. We are so excited. We hope you all like this little report, and in the immortal words of Pop...we leave you with this.

YEAH BABY!