Jessee Reunion 2013

Last Saturday was the annual Jessee Reunion.  This is our 4th year of having them again and it was another successful reunion! This year Shawn and I made the trip down there with Bethie, Gavin & Tommy.  The boys were in the back and were complete ADD overload, with the exception of Gavin.  He was the quietest one on the trip!

I made chocolate cupcakes with homemade cream cheese icing, however I didn't make the icing quite right, so it was a bit runny.  It still stayed on the cupcakes and everyone raved about them.  I also made a 7 layer salad.  It was good, but I wish I would of put a little bit more mayo in it.  There was a fair amount of it leftover, but after sitting out all day, I decided I better pitch it. 

Those in attendance this year were:

Me & Shawn
Beth, Tommy & Gavin
Sissy & Bradley, Jessica, Kim & Elijah
Jessica's neighbor girl, Jamie
Daryl
Billy Herb
Trisha, Elvis & Hannah

So not as many people as in the past, but enough to have a good time.  And the weather was perfect this year!  Generally is so sweltering hot you can't breathe; this year is was in the high 70's with a slight wind.

We left around 5 or 5:30, but everyone stopped at the ferry and road it back and forth across the river.  It was a quick trip, but fun and something we've never done before.  We also drove down to the boat ramp going into the river and got out and walked around and the kids frolicked some in the edge of the water.

Shawnie signing the book.  For as long as I can remember, we've always had a book at each reunion for everyone to sign.  

 

Playing cornhole!

 

 

Gavin waited patiently all day for someone to take him to the playground.  We walked over, he climbed up to the big slide and then decided not to go down it :(  He eventually went down another slide, but there was a huge drop to get off the bottom of the slide.  Gavin got upset when I wanted to take his picture instead of helping him down.  #tiredcrankylittleboy

 

 

Singing some Christian music

Each year we take a group photo.  I always set the camera on the tripod and timer and set it for 10 pics.  The first couple I hope everyone is serious, then after a few flashes, we get silly...

...we've got some people making crazy faces, some giving thumbs up, some flexing their guns, and one popping his teeth out!



 

I'm not sure what my husband is doing in this picture :/ 

 

  

 

The little and big kids had fun playing with water balloons and chasing each other with water! 

Taking a ride on Reed's Ferry

 

Hanging out at the boat ramp and frolicking in the water 

The Dreamland Motel

The Dreamland Motel.

I am planning on making a trip back "home" later this fall and was so excited to get a chance to stay in the Dreamland Motel again.  When I called last week to see if they had any rooms available and to inquire about the price, I was told that they were selling the motel and weren't taking reservations.  My heart sank!  It's been years since I had stayed there and was so looking forward to it.

I found the pictures below from a website on the Internet.  When we were kids, every summer for as long as I can remember, we would vacation in Columbia, Kentucky and stay at the Dreamland Motel.  It was a little 20-unit mom and pop motel.  It was just a simple little motel - a bed, dresser/desk, nightstand, and bathroom, nothing fancy, no swimming pool.  Just a nice, clean place to lay your head down at night.  

My dad's family was from here so we would always visit with his brothers and sisters and all of our cousins.  We would always stay at the Dreamland Motel.  I only remember once not staying here - we stayed at the new Best Western cause they had a swimming pool.  Even after my dad died, I made one trip back to Columbia and stayed at the Dreamland Motel. 

I have lots of fond memories of staying here.  I remember checking in and always having to run outside and get the license plate number for dad when he would fill out the little registration card.  I remember always running to the little room with the ice and vending machines - putting our money in to get the little glass bottle of coke.  I remember one day playing around with the payphone and sticking my fingers in to see if there was any money.  Gasp!  To my surprise, I pulled out a handful of change!  I remember the room in the corner, I believe it was #9, it was the only two-room room they had and it had 3 beds in it!  I remember the time we came over for a funeral and mom realized she left her suitcase at home on the bed.  She was so upset and I remember her going out and sitting out in the chairs out front.  I remember rolling down the hill out front and laying on blankets underneath the shade tree.  I remember sitting outside on the concrete patio table while dad smoked and we visited with family.  I remember walking up the hill from the entrance of the motel to the gas station on the corner to get snacks that they vending machine didn't have.  I remember those tiny bathrooms with no tubs, and mom using lids of some sort to plug the drain so we could take a bath instead of a shower.

I'm looking forward to my trip back home later this fall.  I plan on driving around and revisiting all of the old places that we used to as kids and taking lots of pictures.  I'll definitely be calling again closer to time to see if the new owners are taking reservations!

Jessee Reunion ♥ 2012 ♥

Originally drafted June 14, 2012

This past Saturday was our Jessee Reunion.  This is the 3rd year of them since we started them back up.  It was held at one of the shelter areas at the Charles Black City Park in Morgantown, Kentucky.  Shawn and I picked up Beth and Gavin and headed off to see family and eat some yummy food!  Beth made cole slaw this year and I made 7-layer salad (which was delish!) and bought the "Jessee Reunion cake".  It was yummy too!  We all had a great time visiting, eating, and playing games!  And this year, I got a group photo before anyone left!

The Jessee Reunion 2011

Last Saturday was the Jessee Reunion down in Morgantown, Kentucky at the Charles Black City Park.  Kimberly and Jessica live in the area and it's midway between the Indiana Jessee's and the rest of the Kentucky Jessee's so we have been meeting here.  It's a nice park with nice facilities so we are going to continue having the reunion here.  It's always great to see everyone cause this really is the only time of year we see them.  And it shouldn't be because we really don't live that far away from them.

Mom and Gavin went with Shawn and I this year.  Beth and Tommy had a wedding to go to.  We brought deviled eggs, cornbread salad, and chocolate cupcakes.  There was lots of yummy food to eat!  We also sang karaoke, listened to Greg, Trisha, and Jessica play the guitar, and then some people played corn hole. 

Those in attendance this year were:

Me, Shawn, Mom, and Gavin
Sissy, Bradley, Jessica, Kimberly and Elijah
Alice and Sarah
Greg and Lyndell
Trisha, Lee, Elvis and Hannah
Joe, his wife and Jordan
Daryl and his son
Billy Herb

Right before everyone left, well almost everyone, Greg and Lyndell escaped before I realized it, we did a group picture.  That was alot of fun and I got some crazy things trying to get one good picture.  LOL!!