Even though I was an Air Force brat, and moved quite a lot during my childhood, I was lucky to have lived in Marquette, Michigan more than once during this time and therefore, held on to some pretty special women in my life.
About six years ago, as most of us had raised our kids and were getting older and had more time to ourselves, we decided that we should try an annual reunion.
Along the shores of beautiful Lake Superior every year, there is an outside art fair held in Marquette. Everyone seemed to like to attend, so we incorporated that into our annual weekend reunion. This always occurs during the last weekend in July.
Since I live close by on a different lake and have plenty of room, I volunteered to always host our reunion at our house.
Therefore, beginning tonight, eight giggling, happy, sweet, boisterous, wonderful friends will be descending on our house. We all wait for this weekend all year long. We get sentimental about our childhood memories. We catch up on each other's kids and grandkids. We have been together through the years through marriages, romances, divorces, miscarriages, career changes, retirement (for some of us!) the birth of kids, the birth of grandkids, the divorces of our kids, remodeling houses, moving, building houses...you name it.
I love each and every one of them from the bottom of my heart. I can't imagine my life without any of them in it.
My poor husband. Or shall I say: our Cabana Boy? He hauls mattresses down, blows up air mattresses, takes us for pontoon rides, runs and gets more mix or chips and helps me cook during this weekend. One of the other friends also brings her husband so that they can skip out and do some fishing while we get wild on Saturday night. (Some of us have some pretty wonderful guys in our lives too!)
A few years ago I decided to throw some more fun in the mix and decided that we should have a theme for the weekend, complete with costumes and a costume contest.
The first one was Leopard weekend. I told them they had to go out to Goodwill or rummage sales and borrow the tackiest leopard outfits and accessories they could get their hands on,....the more the better. They came up with leopard underwear, leopard hairbands, leopard gloves, leopard shoes, leopard skirts, leopard earrings, etc. It was so funny! I would show you some pictures, but we got pretty wild with the leopard underwear, so I promised not to share them with anyone.
Last year, we had a 70's theme......
Here is the crazy bunch of us, all in costume~!
Who couldn't LOVE this bunch of women?:
This year's theme?
PIRATES!!!!
Wonder if anyone found pirate underwear this year?
Wonder who will look the most like Johnny Depp????
I will try my best to get some blackmail pictures this year and post them on the blog.
After all, I'm not making ANY promises about not sharing the photos THIS year. :-P
Looks like so much fun w/ your friends! I love your idea of themes and hope you share the pirate photos!! I bet at least one person will be wearing an eye patch! :-)
ReplyDeleteAwww, share. I want to see the Booty!
ReplyDeleteThat looks like so much fun!
ReplyDeleteAm looking forward to whether or not someone shows up with a stuffed parrot on their shoulder!
Pearl
How fun. That looks like a neat bunch of women. Have a great time.
ReplyDeleteShellmo: Oh yes, I will be wearing an eyepatch myself! Hope to post some photos soon..:-P
ReplyDeleteGoing: You will see the booty...I should be able to capture some bootleg pictures with some treasures.ha
Pearl: That would just so happen to be me...my little stuffed parrot is waiting for Saturday night! ;-p
ReplyDeleteGrannyann: thanks...you can bet that we will have a great time...we always do! It is raining here, so that may spoil the art show outside for us on Saturday, but there is always crazy games we can play. We will just have to drink more. Darn. ha
Ohmygosh, you guys are hysterical! I can't wait to see the photos from this weekend...Aye, Aye, Cap'n!!
ReplyDeleteOkay -- which one is YOU in the posted photo? This sounds like so much fun! We are invited to attend an annual gathering of high school classmates (not gender-specific) that I have never joined before (never worked with my schedule). So may be able to get there - hosted by a classmate who now lives in AZ. Will be thinking about you and the gals!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a bang-up time you are going to have again ... never thought of a theme. Enjoy! TTFN ~Marydon
ReplyDeleteI just want to say, where would we be without our friends, who grace our lives and give it depth. You are very fortunate to have the space to do this (one of my younger sisters always hosts us when we get together). Since I have five siblings, we don't have to add anyone to the relative mix to have MORE than a full house!
ReplyDeleteI look forward to the pictures with a lot of enjoyment, already, just thinking about it.
Have a wonderful weekend! It looks like you have so much fun! Please post the pirate pics:)I can't wait1
ReplyDeleteYou just inspired me...About 8-12 women friends and I meet once a month for breakfast...We all went to gradeschool together...I think we need a little change in clothing ourselves...may be fun to dress up once in awhile with a theme...Thanks Joan!
ReplyDeleteTake care,
Wanda
Oh boy! That sounds like fun! Can't wait to see the pirates pics and hear the stories.
ReplyDeleteE N J O Y ! ! ! xo
Have a great time. I hope the neighbors are not cranky and won't call the cops on that group. Leopard patterns everywhere is really kind of a nightmare you know. I am glad the guys get to go fishing for a while. You sound like the two of you are great hosts. Have fun!!!
ReplyDeleteLynn: I will try my best to get some photos! :-}
ReplyDeleteJess: I am the one in the middle with the big FRO. We always have a ball and giggle so much at what costumes everybody comes up with!
Blushing: We always have fun...even without the costumes..just like we transport ourselves back to high school again.
DJan: We have some in double beds, some sleep on a blow up bed, some sleep on a couch, some sleep on a futon...but no one seems to mind..just as long as we can spend the weekend laughing and visiting! We all look forward to it every year!
Sara: I will post them, don't worry!
Unless for some reason they don't come out good. With all of us having cameras, someone's photos should turn out, right?
Wanda: Oh boy1 If you do costumes at a restaurant for breakfast, you are going to have customers excited. Although once we did parade down our street in costume, and the neighbors laughing.
Joanna: Some stories may not be able to be shared. ha
Last year, my husband had his class reunion so they partied for a few hours when we were at the reunion. They ended up at this tiny bar for dinner and had the bartenders there speechless because they were so crazy. They stood outside by the bar's sign for a group photo and cars were beeping hello at them on the highway. I gotta watch those girls and keep them out of trouble. ha
L.D: Our neighbors laugh at us..one year the girls paraded down the street in their costumes and had them laughing. When it gets late, we go inside so as to not disturb them with our noise. Lots of rock n' roll and laughing, but innocent fun! As for the leopard? The BEST fashion statement ever. What we laughed at the most is that the following year, leopard accessories became a fashion statement in New York and Paris. We laugh now and say we started the "trend".
So..watch out...Pirate wear may make a comeback after this party again. ha
arrgh matey! hav'a great week'nd of ye'll walk de plank! lol. too much!
ReplyDeleteIt soundss like a lot of fun. I bet your husband had fun too, just because you did, even if he had to play servant.
ReplyDeleteOh such fun! Enjoy your blog.
ReplyDeleteJust found out that we are flying back to Michigan in September for my husband's 50th college reunion at NMU during Homecoming weekend. Looking forward to seeing the early fall folliage..
Caa
California
Have an awesome time! Looks like you have the best girlfriends a person could ask for!
ReplyDeleteWow, what a crazy bunch of friends you have. You're a lucky gal. Have a blast! And really, who cares about the cops!
ReplyDeleteBrian: You betcher right eye! (thus the patch). ha
ReplyDeleteRatty: I think he does have fun..although he tries to go down in the computer room when we really get nuts. ha
Anonymous: You will have to leave me a comment if you want to meet when you come!
I live only 25 miles from Marquette and we could get together when you come, if you want to no longer be "anonymous"!! Have you been to the U.P.? You will love it! You may not see the leaves changed that early..it usually doesn't happen up here until around the last week of September.
Brittany: You are correct. They are the BEST.
Sue: Cops, shmops. We will have them laughing at us so hard, they will come in for a wine cooler if they come. ha
That sounds like loads of fun!!!
ReplyDeleteThis.is.awesome. :)
ReplyDeletesounds like you were born to have fun enjoy
ReplyDeleteJoanie: Oh...fun barely describes it. ha
ReplyDeleteInsanity Kim: Yes! We wait every year for that weekend...this weekend did not disappoint....it is already over, but all of us have sore sides from laughing so hard. Photos will be posted soon! :-P
Dolls: You are new to the blog! Please join on as a Follower to my blog, that would be wonderful to have you regularly read it. We all were born to be friends and all of us look forward to the reunion every year!