The wedding was beautiful-- they are one super cute couple. We loved seeing them so very happy and in love (as newlyweds ought to be). The best part was seeing Dustin's entire immediate family in the temple together (8 brothers and one sister) and most of the in-laws. We are so blessed to part of this amazing family!
HIGGINS FAMILY REUNION: As you can see, this family is not only amazing, but HUGE! And still growing... rapidly. I'd say Dan and Diana (Dustin's parents) get a good average of 2-3 new grandkids a year. They have nine kids and now nine kids-in-law. So far the grandchild count is 29, with a baby boy due in September and a set of twins in November (I think-- Amy, correct me if I'm wrong!). We are so excited for the new babies! (Congrats again, you guys).
Anyways... with a family of this size, you can imagine it was quite a reunion-- actually, it was awesome. Dustin & I shared planning duties with David & Becky, and it all turned out GREAT. With gas being so expensive and a couple families traveling pretty far for Dallin's wedding (the reunion started only a couple days later, the following Sunday-Wednesday), we decided to keep the reunion local. Dane (brother #1) and David (brother #3) live near each other in Peoria, so we split the Higgins fam in half and spent the nights at their places. We also developed a nice itinerary. Though we adjusted it quite a bit during the reunion, we actually generally stayed true to it. High points were Waterworld and just hanging out with everyone. I think Benjamin had the best time of his life, surrounded by cousins, "new" toys, unlimited swimming and playing, dessert every night... he was perfectly content (not a single tantrum. He also told me several times randomly, "Mommy, I happy." Cutie! :) ). Dustin also created a pretty awesome Higgins Family Jeopardy game with all the childhood stories and random "what you didn't know..." tidbits we collected from the family. It had 5 categories: Who Dunnit, Crazy Kids, The In-Laws, It's a Higgins' Thing, and What You May Not Know About Your Parents. With 8 brothers and one sister (who was the oldest), they have some CRAZY stories-- we spent 2 nights laughing and reminiscing with each "question" hinting at some crazy memory from their childhood past. :)
Another major highlight was our Family Testimony Meeting. With all the adults participating, it lasted a good 2 hours, but who knew? Time flew as we all basked in the incredible Spirit there as each person expressed their love for and testimony of our Savior and His Gospel and the joy we feel as a righteous family. It was a beautiful experience and we feel so much closer to our family because of it. Again, we are so blessed to be a part of such an exceptional family. We are so grateful!
FAMILY TRIPS: Well, I'm out of bloggin' time for the moment, so TO BE CONTINUED... Sorry about the lack of pics, but our camera was broken through the aforementioned events (yeah, bummer), but do not despair! Through a little tender mercy, Dustin was actually able to fix our camera and we have PLENTY of pictures to share of our family trips! So, till then, have a fabulous weekend!!!
4 comments:
What a great family! I am so happy that you found such a great guy and that you fit into their family as well as you do.
Sounds like you guys had a fun trip. Oh and I wrote to share with you that I joined the blogging world! So here is our link!
You have the cutest family! I can't believe how quick your little baby has grown. But I guess since mine is 6 months, your's has to be a lot older. hehe
anxiously awaiting part 2. :)
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