Family Reunion Fun - It's All About the Guest List!

Reunion beach  balls, thanks to Wendy and Stephanie

The Dewey-Minnie Braaksma Reunion 2013 (August) in Branson was a blast. It was a month ago, and I'm still smiling and missing everyone.

The picnic cookout at the Marriott, Willow Ridge, was an impending disaster as predicted by the resort staff. It had been raining off and on all week and it poured that morning. At the last raindrop, I dried off the tables in the pavilion and gathered umbrellas. Greg pitched his Razorback awning outside the patio doors to keep the grills dry. Then - voilà- the sun came out .... and the party was on.

Marvin

The family tree converged in Branson (Mo.) from Wisconsin, Illinois, South Dakota, Florida, Colorado, Missouri, Kansas and Arkansas. Click for a link to all of the photos from the reunion. 
Uncles Marvin and Pete were dubbed Royalty I and Royalty II, being the princes they are, upholding the Braaksma tradition, and two of the important reasons we are proud to call ourselves "Braaksma."

Pete

Doris, AKA "Vanna," brought her carnival-style roulette wheels for the paddle game. Anvil Paints donated the paddles. Early in the game, Tim won a sentimental thingamabob, designed and made by Uncle Donnie for Minnie some 50 years ago (I'm guessing) in shop class.
Lucky McKenzie took home Karen's prized quilt ... and countless other items!

Doris, AKA "Vanna," Stephanie, Alexis, and Lucy

Dalton and Drew choosing their lucky paddles

Tim with Minnie's thingamabob

Doris, working her magic

Lucky McKenzie

Greg, Jeff, and Andy
Thanks to our grill masters, we had a delicious beef/chicken/vegetable kebab dinner.

The tradition continues. The funnest thing about our reunions is being together. As great party planners will tell you, it's all about the guest list.

Pete, Steve, and Marvin

Cindy

Tim and Uncle Pete

Kaylyn and Linda on the Branson Belle

Lisa and Julie, with baby Noah on the way ... in December

David, reunion co-host

Doris, Karen, and Linda

Up & Comers: (back row) Ethan, Tristen, Lindsey, Eric, Brett, Ben, Sam, Roy, and Julie
(middle) Stephanie, Drew, Lucy, and Dalton; (front) Alexis and Annalynn

Steve, charming Annalynn

Paging through the albums: Chasity, Karen, Doris, and Pat

Amy, cousin Ronnie Sr., and Alexis with niece Annalynn

Staying mobile, Kaylyn, Stephanie, and Amy

Michelle, Mark, Ken, and Tim

Pillow fight! Cousins Drew and Stephanie

Cousins Doris and Kaylyn

Julie and Brett

Annalynn, Ronnie Jr., Alexis, and Heather

 Marvin, Chasity, Frances, Connie, Ken, Cindy

Steve won Darrell's Timothy Whale's Rainbow

Shutterbug Melissa

 

Shutterbug's hubby, Mark

Frances and Helen

(Front) Ken
(Back) Teens, licensed to drive, Roy, Eric, Sam and Ben

(Center) Brandt and Erica with sons Ethan and Tristen;( left) Stephanie and (right) Kaylyn

Marvin and Kaylyn, father-daughter dynamic duo

Around the table, Lindsey, Stephanie, Helen, and Ethan

 

Thanks to Jeff, Andy, Greg, Eric, and Ben, the SWAT picnic team, setting-up and taking-down the grills, awning, and tables in a flash!

The End

Reunions in the spirit of Minnie and Dewey, Dutch settlers in Wisconsin

I remember Grandma Minnie's red cabbage, Aunt Ann's pickles and now in the same legendary spirit, Cousin Doris's pickle. A complete meal can be made from home-canned pickles, Wisconsin cheese slices on freshly baked rolls, and beer.

As a child, my most memorable family reunion with Grandpa and Grandma Braaksma was near a lake or pond in Wisconsin. Grandpa was fishing and hollered out that he needed us to catch grasshoppers for bait. The fun began. We were hopping all over, on a grasshopper safari, catching grasshoppers as fast as we could. I felt like I was doing something of utmost importance for my beloved grandfather.

Suddenly, there was a great commotion - lots of laughing. Uncle Don and his friends had arrived with a watermelon in tow. They were quite pleased with themselves. They explained how they had drilled holes in the watermelon and soaked it in rum the night before. Now the golden moment had arrived when they would stick straws through the holes and sip the rum from the watermelon. Nothing for us youngsters, but it was fun being part of a family who knew how to make the most of their time together.

In 2008, cousins Dorris and Steve re-lit the family reunion torch and hosted a reunion in Nashville.
Click for photos of the 2008 Dewey-Minnie Braaksma Reunion in Nashville.

In 2010, a second reunion was held in Wisconsin at Doris's home.

Click for photos from the 2010 reunion.

Our third reunion has come and gone. In 2013, we hosted a family reunion in Branson, Mo. It was as much fun being with everyone as ever.
Click for photos from the 2013 reunion.