What’s for supper for this family of 23? Carnival food of course! When you grow up eating Pumpkin Show food every October in Circleville, Ohio you sort of crave it all year. So what’s easier than hot dogs with all the trimmings: chili, mustard, ketchup, shredded cheese, chopped onions and slaw added on top? Slaw is a southern thing but when introduced, the family loved it. To this came pickles on a stick because we all know “there’s no disgrace to having a pickle in your face!” Next came chips with salsa and hot cheese dip and fresh cut jalapeños. Everyone enjoyed the Mexican Street Corn from a previous blog too. The smarties suckers on a stick were especially liked by the kids, young and old! Of course to add a little healthy we put out apples, oranges, grapes, fresh pineapple and cherries. Applesauce in self serve containers came in handy for the little ones. So what do you fix to end this carnival meal?? Cotton candy!! We had blue, pink, purple and yellow!! No one was too interested in the yellow!😳. To end the evening Adam and Lisa brought a blow up screen and projector so we could watch a movie while working off our dinner in the pool👍

We had a fabulous time meeting with other family members from California to New York and several states in between. We found adorable shops and restaurants including day trips to South Port and Wilmington. The ladies, except Rebecca who graciously stayed home to prepare for our girls spa night, especially enjoyed the coffee shop called Bitty and Beaus. Those long walks/runs on the beach and the bicycle rides were braved by many. And the traditional sand castle building where we weren’t sure if Dick was helping David bury himself or helping him to get out. But those are memories we cherish until the next beach trip. Each sunrise and every sunset were more spectacular than the one before.

We all survived another week at the beach together in spite of Heather falling off her water board, (luckily her phone case protected her phone!) Chelsea’s sun burn is getting better. Ashley, Jessica and Natalie made it back to the Wilmington airport in plenty of time to catch their separate flights back home. All the Yaussy’s had to leave a day early to make it to a special wedding, showing up more tanned than their usual skin tone. Adam and Lisa and their kids had to drive on Friday to Chickamauga only to unpack and turn around to go back to Atlanta the same day for a volleyball tournament for Maddy. Brittany went home with Heather to help babysit so Heather and Grady could drive Callie to Jacksonville State in Alabama on Sunday for her week long  band camp. So life as usual goes on. But we were so fortunate to all take this week off to spend time together. It takes us two years to plan another trip like this but it’s so worth it to keep us close and to allow the younger cousins to grow up knowing each other. LaDonna is the one who started this tradition and in her honor we continue!💕