Partridge Family Reunion--The BIG One!

It had been 20 years since our last Partridge Family Reunion with all my cousins on my Dad's side. We love seeing them, it's just hard coordinating a gazillion schedules to get together. The last two times we saw each other were at Grandpa's funeral and again at Uncle Don's funeral. I am so glad we were able to be together during those times and share our love for each other and funny memories of the past. But we were due for a happier reason to get together. Thanks to our cousin Tanja and Aunt Ann we all (really almost every single soul!) made it to the same place at the same time to celebrate the Great Pear Tree from which we all fall!

During the first reunion sometime in the late 80's we had reunion shirts that said "Guess Who Survived the Partridge Family Renuion." Guess was big then. So this time each family (Dad's, Aunt Ann's & Aunt Maureen's) each made up their own shirts. Everyone was impressed with the creativity of the families. Here's our shirt:


On the back it said "Something always happens whenever we're together" with all 25 names on the back. It nearly took an act of Congress to get our shirts finished to everyone's satisfaction but come on, they're super cute!

Our last reunion comprised of a high spirited softball game. Going along with the saying "If it's not broke, don't fix it!" we divided into teams for a kids game and a bigger kids game (because really, all those adults out there--they're just super sized kids.) Here's some pix from both games. The jury is still out as to who had more fun.


On the kid's team we mixed up the families so the kids got to play with people they didn't know. We quickly learned names and faces and tried to keep straight who was on which team.


Heavy Hitter!


I'm not sure what Bradley is trying to get Brock to leave alone. It looks like a leaf to me--but who am I to doubt the intentions of a sweet protective brother.


Winding up for the Grand Slam!


This is just about my favorite picture ever! Don't worry Dad, there IS baseball in Heaven!


A team full of mixed emotions. Perhaps some of them didn't know they were losing. . .


Looks like Bryson tagged Bradley while Brock stole first. I'm not even sure how that play works but the boys had a blast. Blake is not pictured much here because he went AWOL to play with Aunt Stephanie and Hyrum at the playground.


Ahh, the bigger kids game. All our ducks--Partridge's that is--lined up in a row.


Dad is out to prove the Patriarch still has moves!




We can always count on Kaley to show the boys how it's done--right!


So there are about a million pictures from the reunion but here are some cute ones from all the bubbles the kids blew. These were not your ordinary bubbles. They were Super Bubbles that really only Kryptonite or a heavy foot could destroy.












Bless whoever decided to make all 92 million kids run down to the end of the field and back again. (Ironically here, Blake is in focus while the rest of his world is a little blurry. Again, not so different from how life really is for Blake!)


The group on the run back.


Aunt Ann had a super fun game where you run down to the end of the field (again--we love wearing the kids out!) and stomp on--or pop in some way--a balloon. Inside the balloon was a piece of paper with an animal of some kind that you had to act out on your way back to the starting side of the field. Here is Scott Moo-ing. . . I think.


The last game was a kickball game. Kickball is one of Bradley's favorites! Unfortunately, the camera didn't do him justice during the game so here is Bradley at first ready to run.


However, the camera did capture the following pictures of Brett and Ryan:








I think Ryan won that round!


This last picture just about sums it up. The kids (teeney, not so teeney and freakin' huge) were happy, hungry and exhausted. It was a great reunion! Hope it doesn't take us 20 more years to do it again!