…the wedding you attend:

 

a) is held on the Fourth of July weekend, outside, with guests sitting on hay bales

b) the invitation specifies “western attire”

c) it’s hard to see the bride and groom for the big cowboy hat on the guy’s head in the front row

 

Ok, so it wasn’t exactly a wedding. After twenty years of marriage, and since much of the family wasn’t able to attend their very small original wedding for a number reasons, my aunt and uncle decided to renew their vows this year at the annual family reunion.

This is the kind of reunion where bug spray and sunblock should be liberally applied throughout the day, and where you just nod your head in agreement when caught in a conversation about the cool motorcycle your cousin just purchased, and where you pretend that boots, a bandana, and a gingham shirt are all part of your standard wardrobe.

It’s also the kind of reunion where you admit to keeping up with the latest hunting and automotive news, but don’t mention out loud that you’re perfectly supportive of a woman running for president.

But its also the kind of place where you see family who is always welcomes you, would do anything for you, and lets you stand and stare while they hand crank homemade ice cream before bringing you the first bowl.

And these are the kind of people who will gladly watch your little child romp around the fields while you and your husband take a lazy nap in the hammock under the shade tree.

 

Ah, family. 

Don’t want to live too close to ’em, can’t get free babysitting without ’em.