Fun with the Family

Alexis and I are fortunate enough to live close enough to family to be able to enjoy some family togetherness at least once a month.  It is usually not too difficult to get Alexis's whole immediate family together, since they all still live under one roof, but because the Bates' clan has spread around the Valley, we usually have to plan a day for everyone to get together.

This month, as a belated Mother's Day gift, the Bates got together to take some family pictures--the first time since before my mission, if I'm not mistaken.  Then we went swimming at Aunt Sue's and Uncle Mike's.  I really enjoy swimming but I don't do it as often as I'd like.  We pretty much just hung out for most of the day and rented a Redbox movie to end the night.  I've posted a few of the kids and the rest of the family:

Just relaxing between shots.

What is this new devilry?

Just chatting after pictures.

The women cleaning the kitchen while the men were lazily sitting on their duffs. =D

Swimming at Aunt Sue's and Uncle Mike's

We also got to get together with the extended Long Family (Grandma and Grandpa Long and their kids) for FHE the next day.  The food was great--I loved that burrito dip--and we had a lot of fun with the "lesson" / activity about family history.  Mom made a helped us put together "Long Family Tree" and we learned a little bit about each person.  For example, that Grandma Long's parents were dancers and that her mother was a professional seamstress.  It was a fun way to learn about our origins and our roots.
 

Great finger food.

The Long Family Tree.

Trying to figure out where the different names go.