A Reunion in Jersey: Valley not Shore

The sole purpose of our East Coast road trip finally came along…a family reunion. You may be thinking, guh…boring. Well shut it because this is no ordinary reunion!

This was only our second time attending, but we made special effort to get here again this year after last year’s experience. Since the host is Dusty’s dad’s cousin, I’m thinking it’s a bit of a stretch down the gene pool that we’re even invited. We’re lucky they welcome us with open arms because we’d probably sneak into this thing if it came to it. That’s how fun this reunion is!

The end of summer party centers around pounds and pounds of lobsters, shrimp and crab legs delivered from grill to table throughout the day. Now that I think about it, its sort of a form of Argentine asado! Maybe that’s why we like it so much! Anyway, there’s only so much room at the tables for the massive number of guests, so when someone has devoured their share of crustaceans, they get out of the way for the next hungry person. The feast continues for hours until everyone is fed. Twice even!

When I heard about how this seating went down, my first thought was that it’s too bad not everyone could eat together at the same time. After experiencing it, I’m sold. Because there are people buzzing around at all times, the party never has a lull. No one ever slows down. Once you finish eating, you go right back into the chaos surrounding you. The men spend their time grilling, chatting and playing games of horseshoes while the ladies bring out the endless stream of appetizers, salads, chili, jello shots, chips and desserts. You honestly can’t get more American than this gluttony-fest.

The kids have some fun, too! Maybe too much fun. They run around, swim, throw water balloons at people, play music, play cards and swing on the swingset.

The party goes well into the evening, when even more food is delivered in the form of sloppy joes. The music kicks on and the fun continues. The kids can’t keep up and end up passing out inside while the grown ups make a mockery of themselves.

If and when I host a family reunion, or any massive party for that matter, it will attempt to be as fun as this one, although I doubt I can match it.

Thanks, Loewens, for including us in your shindig! It’s a blast and so are you!