Family Matters

A lot of people I know, they claim to come from a big family. They've got a few aunts and uncles, even more cousins and grandparents, too. But my family? It's a family of gigantic proportions.

That's not even half of my dad's side of the family - in fact, it only represents the families of 6 out of 10 of my dad's siblings' families. Seriously. And better still - it represents five generations.. from my Great Grandma Hamblen (who is ninety-something, who knows?) to Aurora, who's only two or three.

Jordan and Megan

The best part of visiting family is that they're all from the midwest, originally. Everyone was born and raised in Missouri. Now, Grandma's house is filled with accents from Pennsylvania, Indiana, Tennessee, Missouri, Arizona and Texas. Soon, the family will spread even further as Caitlyn starts at Johns Hopkins and so many of my cousins join the military and are stationed in other states.

The Golden Girls

Caitlyn and Tim

Uncle Bob, Aunt Kimmie & Seth

Cassie, Josh, Aunt Amy, Rodney

Aunt Sarah and Uncle Rob

A record was set yesterday for the most siblings to be home to Missouri at the same time since they were in school.

Uncle Larry, Aunt Amy, Aunt Becky, Aunt Sarah, my dad & Uncle Bob

Jordan and Roger

You can't begin to understand how much I say "only in Missouri" - but it's true. Visiting here is like stepping into a third dimension - a dimension where the maximum speed limit, on the highway, is 40. Where the nearest mall is an hour and a half away. Where everyone goes to Wal-mart and.. It's actually clean.. even the bathroom!

Aunt Becky, Momma & Me

Only in Missouri do little boys spend their afternoon catching bullfrogs and then carrying them around like little trophies. The worst part? I'm pretty sure those dead frogs are still laying in the back of Uncle Bob's truck.

The same truck that the entire family piled in to in order to make it up the hills for the fireworks.

Apparently, that's legal in Missouri. Just don't sit on the tailgate.

And only with the Lake family do you get a singing performance post-fireworks. Seth danced on tables and sang a song about a Hawaiian fish to an audience of thirty. Then Kim. And Uncle Larry - but he didn't dance.. or sing.

Oh, only in Missouri.