Family Reunion Day 1.......

Wednesday was Day 1. We headed out around 10:30 and caravanned up to Susanville where we stopped at the Black Bear Diner to have lunch. It was so wonderful to watch my Mom with Aunt Dottie and Aunt Pat. They were giggly like school girls and it was great to see them together. My Aunt Pat was my Aunt through marrying my Uncle Ken, who is no longer with us and even though they divorced, she and my mom kept in touch and remained great friends....they were both rebellious and two peas in a pod. My Aunt Dottie is my Aunt by choice, she and my mom were the best of friends since the tender age of 14......and boy did I hear some stories! After we stopped for lunch we headed through Susanville then on to 44 and made one more stop at a rest stop before Burney Falls. I was going to surprise them and take them to Burney Falls for a little sight seeing, but there was a terrible fire and the road was blocked off of any traffic going in that direction. Onward to Redding. We made pretty good time and checked into our lodge rooms, started to relax and then a nice white Volvo pulled up with a very handsome man who looked just like my mother. I said " Mom, come look at this, you've got to see this!" It was her oldest brother Peter and his wife Lita. I remember them from the time we went to New York when I was 16 and Aunt Lita's Cold Cucumber Soup......She taught me some of her secret recipes too that I will share with you later. We decided to order pizza and chicken wings to be delivered so we could just relax and enjoy each others company. Jayson and Stevi went to the pool to swim and Jayson put on his "Dolphin Show" which is so funny he had us all laughing hysterically.
Lots of fun memories were shared by the pool, but it was a long drive for all of us so we actually headed to bed early, I think it was before 10pm.

My Mom, Aunt Pat and Aunt Dottie in room 5, Me, Stevi, Jayson and Guoda (Jay wouldn't make it up until Friday after work as well as Cory and her family) in room 3 and Uncle Pete and Aunt Lita in room 2. I am glad for the people who were able to make it, but the weekend already started out wonderful and I wish more could have made it. Stay tuned for day 2!