Even though you are surrounded, you are still lonely!

I just had the opportunity of being in charge  of,  and attending our Rowley Family Reunion in Orem, Utah.  We had about 60 people show up and at least 1/2 of them were kids.  We had plenty of good food and activities to keep everyone busy.  Many of them said after it was over, "that was the best party they had ever been to".  We had volleyball, spikeball, kickball, soccer, baseball and we rented the soccer balls that you get inside can run into each other with. Human Soccer Balls It was...well, as you can see above...a ball!  So good to see family members that I have not seen for years.  It was fun to see all of the little girls that have grown into beautiful young women and the little boys into handsome young men.  Grandma and Grandpa had some good genes cause there are some really pretty people in the family!  Bud and I were lucky enough to get together with some old friends, and when I say old I mean old.  They are the same age as us.  These are people that we hung out with when we lived in Utah, and had kid's the same age as ours.  Now we are all proud grandparents.    We were sitting around talking and wondering how we got to be this old.  Life just keeps on moving.  Doesn't slow down or stop for anything.  When you have all of those people around you, you would think that your life is good, which it is.  I look at my friends and the relationships they have with their daughters and my heart aches.  For two reasons, because Kami is gone, and because she made it so hard to have that relationship while she was alive.    So many of the activities, I thought "Kami would love this".  The grandkids and I were in the pool in Marian's backyard earlier on Saturday and we saw some balloons go up in the sky and Lizzie and Mel both said, "I hope Kami can catch those".  I hope she caught them too.  I hope she was able to attend the family reunion in spirit.  Her loss was felt, just as missing all of the other's that have passed away or were just unable to be there because of the distance to travel.  In a perfect world, we could all be together.  I can't wait for that perfect world.