Where has the summer gone? Too much fun has been had, and too many happy memories made!
We had the awesome opportunity of joining my sister's family reunion for a few days with her 7 kids, 6 spouses (yes, I have a 25 year old very available nephew if you're in the market!) and 24 grandchildren. It was most definitely the highlight of our summer.
Each summer the Kesler family convenes at Island Park, ID for a week long reunion of water skiing, tubing, gaming, hot-tubbing, boating, swimming, kayaking, scavenger hunting, competing, eating, goofing, dancing, videoing,and just loving life. This is one of the most amazing families I've ever known. They are all such great individuals. They are a blast to be around, they are competitive, they are hilarious, and there is never a dull moment!
As has become tradition, the youngest daughter Kelsi has produced a summer video for your viewing pleasure! One of the fun things about the Kesler videos is the inclusion of inside jokes or back-stories that outsiders might wonder about. Let me fill you in on a few of the insider snippets to watch for in this reel:
1. The family with bear spray, singing "it's gonna be alright": So, no lie, the Keslers had a full-size grizzly bear ravage their belongings two nights in a row on the porch of their cabin. They actually watched it through the window the second night, which was apparently pretty spine-tingling! Bear spray was purchased STAT.
2. The creepy doll: This was my sister's doll growing up (who is ML, the mom of this crew), and I actually remember playing with it myself, and loved it: scary eyes, faded dress, balding head, and all. Not sure how it ended up at the cabin or in this video...
3. The dock dancing: All of us sisters grew up dancing, and my sis ML owned a dance studio for many years. Consequently, each of her children grew up with rhythm in their bones, and fortunately, the in-laws can boogie as well.
4. The fellas with their skis on the dock: These men all belong to their own established organization, EMSA, the "Early Morning Ski Association". Each morning these guys rise before the sun to ski when the water of the lake is like glass. It's serious business... they own printed sweatshirts and everything.
5. The wave runner: This portion of the video contains my little fam. You'll see me driving, and my husband flinging off the back. Later on, we all try to pile onto it before our combined weight dumps us into the drink. Lucky for us, none of us suffered any head injuries as we crashed into each other and the dock.
6. The two boys on the dock: Yes, those happen to be my two oldest kiddos. Not sure how or where they learned to work it quite like that. Should I be worried?
7. The playing cards and the three guys at the table: This is part of a long standing tradition of the Keslers called, "Crap on Your Neighbor". Lovely name, I know! But not what it first sounds like. It's a card game the adults play when all the little kiddies are in bed. It has ten rounds in which high card trumps all, and takes the pile. Points are kept for each round won or lost, and the risk increases with each round. The kicker is that there is always a penalty for the bottom two or three losers at the end of the ten rounds. In the past, penalties have included jumping into the hot tub fully clothed, jumping into the lake at midnight, walking across sharp rocks bare-foot, and so on. You get the idea. This particular night of filming, the losers had to ingest a packet of hot chocolate powder within a certain time limit. You can see it wasn't going down all that easily!
8. And lastly, Caleb at the very end of the video: This is Kelsi's husband. Sadly, he was unable to attend this reunion due to work and other obligations, so he was left behind in Washington, D.C. to continue working while the rest of the family partied at the cabin. He danced alone in his kitchen...
Well, I hope this gives you a little insight to the Kesler family and their fun video for this year. I can vouch truthfully...It's always a good time with them!
Happy last few weeks of summer!
