Strader Reunion - Raccoon Lake - 2010

One always imagines marring into a big happy family. Lots of cousins, good home cooking, reminiscing, all of this makes you feel like you are a part of something. For the 6 years I've spent being a Strader I have seen bits and pieces of the family. Aunts here, an uncle there...a story about someone - old snap shots one at a time...Now I have it put all together!

As it turns out I am part of one of those families! My girls have more then 10 cousins, most under 10 years old! The Aunts and Uncles all welcomed me so graciously even though I was that crazy wife of Ben's that started this crazy thing...

I initiated a family reunion. Thanks to Facebook, I started the basics of putting together a date, rounding up the family (some of which have never met me) and started pushing. It was well worth the effort!

All of a sudden I had people helping with the location, the dates, the names and contacts...

30 people showed up! Can you believe it? I am amazed! There were many who WANTED To be there but just couldn't be so I assume in the future our next reunions will top out close to 40!

Our reunion was fantastic! People drove from all over Indiana to gather at Raccoon Lake. We took up 6 camping spaces and had 10 tents, and a pop trailer. We ate breakfast, lunch and dinner under the trees, in the humidity, wearing matching t-shirts! We hugged, we laughed, Natalie learned who her cousins were based on the fact they were wearing the Strader T-Shirt - that was funny! "Look mommy they are my cousin, they have the same t-shirt as me".

We survived the heat, the lack of breeze (did you know they camp with fans in Indiana?), the BIGGEST thunder storm I have ever experienced passed right over my tent (and under as the rain came rushing down)!

Everyone helped out in their own way. Some brought food, dessert, a 40 min. DVD full of old family pictures, a homemade quilt of a cousin, son, grandson, nephew that passed. We missed and talked about those that weren't able to come, we talked about getting together again, SOON! I was so proud to meet these strangers, my family, my aunts and uncles and cousins by marriage. I am so happy to have these pictures, see my girls smiling and loving their family.. So amazed at how blessed I am to be a Strader!

These people are a gift to me - and my daughters. I hope they feel as loved by me as I do by them!

P.S. I am already designing the T-shirts for the next trip!