Weiss family back yard extravaganza

For the better part of a decade, my mom's side of the family had been renting a large cabin at a nearby lake for a week. We had a lot of good times there over the years, spending the night together, boating, and eating way too much junk food.

(I'm struck by how ridiculously young - and different - we all look in these pictures. And how slightly 3-sheets-to-the-wind we look in the ones I didn't include. ha!)

But in recent years, since the cabin is only a 10 mile drive for about 90% of the family, people were coming and going, arriving just to eat, and doing other things most days. So it was a lot less family togetherness.

Last year we tried a hotel with an indoor waterpark. But it ended up being half the people in the rooms, half the people poolside. So we are experimenting again. And this year I think it worked out really well.

This past weekend we hosted a family get-together in our back yard. I sent out invites about 5 months ago so that everyone could block off one day for some quality family time.

It was potluck style with lots of food {and beverage}. Jared built some cornhole boards, we put up the badminton net, and Jodie brought ladder ball. Throw in a large quantity of bubble solution and a baby pool, and the masses are entertained.