Searle Family Renion

Where was I?

We got home from Lava Hot Springs on a Thursday and on the next Saturday we had a reunion for Brian's Mom's side of the family, the Searles. We figured it had been about 18 years since the last Searle reunion! Brian fondly remembers going to his Aunt Jerry's house and playing in the pool with all his cousins. It was fun for him to be back at Jerry's house visiting with his cousins and watching our kids play in the pool.

Jerry and her daughters set up the pool area with umbrella-ed tables and there were even misters under the main area. (It was so very hot that day!) The food was so good! All the favorites were there - chicken, crab salad, seven-layer dip. Each of the Searle siblings got up and introduced their families. We heard a couple of fun stories about Grandpa Searle. Jerry hired a Hawaiian Shave Ice place to come make shave ice for us. Nothing has ever tasted so good to me!

My assignment was to take photos of the families who came. Not everyone there knows me very well, so the sarcastic comments were minimal compared to what I've experienced with my family. Ha!

This is the Condie family, Phil and Jerry are seated in the middle. A few of the grandkids had already been in the pool and I put one of them on Phil's lap. Woops! Jerry is the oldest of the Searle siblings.

This is the Don Searle family, Phyllis and Don are seated. Again I made the mistake of letting a wet kid sit in Grandpa's lap.

Brian's Mom is the third child and this is her family. Not everyone, but pretty close. We're missing Jed and McKade. We're the mean parents who made our kids wait to go swimming until after the pictures.

Sandy is the baby of the family and there she is with her husband "Pete." I knew this, but Pete's first name is Harold. Denise and her sister both married Harolds! That's funny to me. :) Everyone calls Sandy's Harold "Pete." Their last name is Peterson. The first time I heard that Brian had an uncle Pete Peterson I was like, "No."

Here they are, Don and Edra Searle's kids: Don Searle, Jerry Condie, Sandy Peterson and Denise Kunze. I want you all to think of someone you know who is 85 years old. Jerry is 85 years old, you guys! #grandmagoals

Here they are with their spouses. That's cousin Sheree next to Denise and Harold.

This is Nedra. She is Denise's aunt. Nedra came with Uncle Tex, who took off before I could get his picture.

I think maybe Don is telling tales out of school here. It's a safe bet.

You can tell Brian gets a kick out of his aunts and uncles. Can you see all those beautiful flower pots around the pool? Those Condie ladies have class!

Brian and his cousin Curt look like the could be brothers. Brian definitely favors his Mom's side of the family.

Denise is close with all her siblings, but especially her sisters. I had to sneak a photo of Sandy smiling and I could only do that when she was with Denise.

We loved seeing everyone and hearing stories we haven't heard for a long time, or ever. Brian comes from a hard-working, fiercely loyal, generous family.