DAY 2 - Every Second Counts!

 One of my favorite things about our family reunion is THE photo shoot!  It is such a hassle & extremely challenging getting everyone to at least LOOK in the direction of the camera at the same time!  We put the camera on the tripod & had G'pa Middleton snap this group shot, then Aunt Jill took the grandkids...I LOVE these crazy people!  2 parents, 10 kids, 7 spouses (Christian is the only one not pictured as he was stuck in San Jose on business.), & 26 grandchildren (27 if you count the baby in T's belly.)...45 people in this group shot!

The proud grandparents with all 26 of the grandkids...

And THIS is the reason we have such a crazy family...I love these 10 kids more than words!

They make my heart happy!

It doesn't take long for this to happen when they get together...

Their attempt at "gang" signs (birth order)...

This photo of Ben & Dara (aka Benara) has a pretty good view of our T-shirts designed by Jill...(Every Second Counts, Camp Middleton 2013)

And I love this one of our youngest...Ty & Christi.  She is such a good sport & handles our crazy family like a champ! We are a bit overwhelming, so that is saying a lot!  She & Dara have been members of our family for 3 years now & they are holding up very well!  We love them to pieces!

After the photo shoot, we all got ready for a little rafting fun.  We took the littles for a "float" down to Henningsen Park...a lot of floatin' & splashin' & swimmin' & other shenanigans...

Then the older kids kept going down the River for a little more whitewater excitement....

While the big kids continued down the River, the littles went home for lunch, naps, & more waterslide fun.  We played with the babies & visited with G'ma & G'pa Middleton who came for the day.

Dinner was delicious!  Nothing like a yummy tri-tip BBQ after a day on the River!

We were happy to have Paul's parents join us for the day.  His mom is so good to go around & talk to everyone...our family is truly blessed to have such a loving patriarch & matriarch!  They left right after dinner as we were getting ready for our big "Minute-To-Win-It" activity...

We gathered on the back porch & split up into four teams.  Aunt Dara & Aunt Nicole helped explain the games & kept them moving.  They did a great job!  Each team scored 1 point if the completed each task within the minute time limit & the winner of each game scored 2 additional points.  It got a little crazy - we have a few competitive people in our family...

#1 - Hanky Panky - each player must empty their box of tissues within a minute...

#2 - Junk in the Trunk - each player must shake, rattle, roll, or jump in order to get 8 ping pong balls out of the tissue box within a minute...

#3 - Face the Cookie - each player must move the cookie from their forehead to their mouth using their face muscles, no hands!  This was pretty tough for the littles...actually it was pretty tough for the big kids, too!

#4 - Scrambled Breakfast - each player must put a cereal box puzzle together within a minute...

#5 - Separation Anxiety - each play must sort the different color skittles into separate cups...

#6 - A Bit Dicey - each player must stack five die & balance them on a tongue depressor...

#7 - There She Blows! - each player must blow up a balloon & use the air to knock all 15 red cups off the table...

#8 - Elephant March - each player must knock over the water bottles using a tennis ball at the end of stockings worn on their head...

#9 - Penny Hose - each player must reach in & grab the pennies at the toes of each pair of panty hose...

#10 - Noodling Around - each player must use a spaghetti noodle to collect 3 penne pasta end to end without touching the penne with their hands...

These games were crazy fun & everyone had a great time.  After the games we had a little line dancing fun with the Wobble & the Cupid Shuffle...

Then we took the party out to the front lawn for a big kid volleyball challenge.  We do not suffer from a lack of competition around here!

The cheering section is rooting for their favorite players.  Another exhausting day of fun...making the moments count.