![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.110pounds.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/us.jpg\" "\\"us\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nLast weekend I went to my family reunion. It was the \u201cbig one\u201d that I grew up going to, not\u00a0the small one<\/a>\u00a0I\u2019ve gone to the last few years. No, the \u201cbig\u201d one was the tradition for 26 years. It was on my aunt\u2019s farm here in Oregon and it was actually two families that were joined by marriage and stayed connected after my uncle was tragically killed. I grew up with this huge, extended family and it was such a fun environment for a kid. About 6 years ago, my poor aunt decided to retire from hosting it and I don\u2019t blame her; imagine hosting a party for 3 days for 150+ people! This time, there were 108 people!<\/p>\n Well, the last time I saw most of those people (the other side of the family) was when I weighed 250 pounds. It was so weird being transported to the time in my life when my body was changing and people noticed it.\u00a0Despite feeling awkward and uncomfortable, I had a fantastic time reliving my childhood at the family reunion. I saw people I haven\u2019t seen in years and I got to show Michael what it was like (instead of just describing it).<\/p>\n We pitched our tent in the hazelnut orchard with everyone else. The house is an old farmhouse from the 1800\u2032s and while my aunt and uncle have updated it and made changes, it\u2019s still old.<\/p>\n I totally unplugged for the weekend and just relaxed. It was so nice to catch up with everyone. The sun was out, we were camping and lounging in the shade.<\/p>\n Of course there were shenanigans, too. (The girl in the cowboy hat above is my cousins Kristin and if you live in the Poulsbo, Washington area, they have a food cart! Check it out!<\/a>)<\/p>\n Yes, that is my uncle below riding a bike backwards. It was quite impressive, actually. I am pretty sure I cannot do that!<\/p>\n One of the coolest things about this weekend event was that the kids just run wild! My aunt has 10 acres of farmland and for three days, the kids run around having fun, playing games, playing with the dogs, and just being kids –totally covered in dirt all weekend long. I remember those days…so much fun! (Flashlight tag, anyone?)<\/p>\n Friday is often a slow day because people are traveling to the farm. This year we had family travel from California, Florida, Texas, Wyoming, and Washington. Friday night my uncle grilled up burgers for everyone. I made a cheeseburger on a sandwich thin, had pasta salad and some veggies and fruit on the side.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n