First Ever Mark Sharp Family Reunion

Just so everyone knows, the entries from last weekend took place at Marissa's parents' house for the first ever Mark Sharp Family Reunion. The last time all six kids were together was three years ago at our wedding so this was quite a treat. In order of age, the "kids" include: Marcus II, David (who lives in Florida—it was great to finally get to talk to him without the distractions of Wedding Day), Marissa, Chesley, Tristan, and Leighton. Current ages range from 37 to 17, so it's a fun group to hang out with. Also in attendance were all of Mark's grandchildren (Kaylee and Shaylyn—David's girls—and our Aidan), Marcus' girlfriend Janelle, and Granna's sister Shan. Some of the family were unable to get free from work. With the hosts, Mark and Cheslean (previously known as Granddad and Granna), the total came to fourteen people!!

What a weekend this turned out to be! With this many people it's hard to find similar interests all the time and nearly impossible to feed everyone all at once. And I won't even go into the bathroom situation! We did manage to get everyone into one room for a family viewing of a modern American classic movie, Nacho Libre, and everyone loved holding Aidan. Two-year old Shaylyn was a constant source of entertainment as well. She really loves cars, so I got to play with Hot Wheels for the first time since I was a boy.

And speaking of being a boy, I remember going to family reunions with six "kids" as one of the grandkids. My mom is one of six kids in her family. All I can say about large families getting together is this: cherish the time and prepare for the chaos. As the family grows into a clan, more and more space, food, time, and bathrooms will be required. But the fun grows too!

There are new pics of Aidan posted online. And here's the requisite picture of all the "kids":

Marcus, David, Leighton, Chesley, Tristan, Marissa