a taste of a widener family reunion

every summer we wideners get together at the infamous cottage at the lake (simply a home to great "gunka") and no two years are ever alike....


everyone is constantly changing...babies growing up into wild little beast children (of course I am not talking about mine....), cousins graduating from high school and college (a theme is always present....), birthdays, ridiculous amounts of good food (dessert is never a maybe...)


sometimes even a guest appearance by shivering winds and cold rains (though that didn't stop the children from water and sand fun....do kids ever get cold?? seriously.) .... and this year a mysterious virus in the middle of the night decided to take on a role, too (you don't even want to know...trust me. I was there. It wasn't pretty.)


but when all is said and done, we know no matter what we can always expect a cozy house (and this year two, thanks to uncle mark) full (and I mean full, like close to thirty people full) of love, stories, smiles, laughter, happy tears, gratitude, kisses and hugs, and maybe a few of those moments even captured if I'm lucky....

presley starts off the weekend with a million dollar smile.

and jeff with some serious windsurfing. brr is all I can say.

father and son share a moment..

while hannah and presley do, too, on the swing that could....and always does.

love this image. emily adores audrey..and I think the feeling is pretty mutual.

uncle mark. need I say more?

turtle shell discovery..."can I eat it??"

this boy ain't afraid to show the love...

THE great gunka. presley can never get enough. who can blame him? he truly is the greatest and he doesn't even know it.

contemplation.

times two. my children are very intellectual.









these three? trouble. but some seriously cute trouble.

sunset kayak rides are the best.

best buds.

as if we didn't know he was a ladies' man already...presley continues to show the love.

is there any better way to sum up the widener weekend of fun?

enough said. until next year that is.