Monday, August 24, 2009

Big Pimpin'

My mom's family is very close and practises what Alex would call ridiculous traditions. We get together to celebrate birthdays and Christmas. Gasp! Who would ever do such a thing?

Absolutely ridiculous.

Well, one of those crazy traditions is a little get together we have every summer at my mom's house to eat good food and play water balloon volleyball.

Water balloon volleyball?








That's water balloon volleyball. My niece Kelsi is a little new to this water balloon thingy and didn't quite get it. I'm like "Kelsi, you have to open your eyes in order to play! I mean seriously!"

Apparently she didn't hear me.



Logan was so happy to be in charge of getting new balloons to the players. He felt pretty important, after all it is a huge responsibility!


This blonde beauty is Charlie, she was being so cute with my nephew Brolan! She also helped get the balloons to the players and did a mighty fine job.





Brolan is getting so big and is just a doll! He is so happy (as long as his mom is around) and giggly and dimply and just a joy to have around!





Since I'm Brolan's favorite aunt, he ALWAYS wants me to hold him. Seriously I can't get this kid off me! I am just that great of an aunt that babies just flock to me.

I'm like the fricken Pied Piper!






It has nothing to do with the fact that I feed them treats, it's my personality. It just comes naturally of course.





I think his mom must deprive him of anything with sugar because when he had a taste of my koolaid his inner sugar demon came out. I was innocently holding my drink in my hand when this kid would grab my wrists and with all his strength, pull the cup to his mouth spilling most of the sugary substance on his shirt. This kid is strong, I was helpless and had no choice but to let him drink from my cup.







His mom wasn't very happy with me.




I was like "Dude, it's not my fault you deprive him of such delicious sugary substances, do you see the look in his eyes? It's the sugar demons I'm telling you, you've got to tame those things!"




My brother, Brolan's dad, agreed with me of course.




Brolan wasn't the only baby there, I was so excited that I got some great pictures of these cuties! This is my cousin Jenny and her daughter. Look at these darling piggies!





And my cuz Rachael with her daughter Charlie and her 3 month old daughter Brittana.





And of course everyone knows my baby Logan. Yes he's a baby and yes he is mine even though it was my sister who actually pushed him out of her vagina. He always tells me that he wishes I was his mom. It's true, would I lie to you?



You're right, I would lie to you. He loves his beautiful Mamma.





So, like every Marsden get together it was full of smiling faces and group hugs.



My mom did a wonderful job of putting together the party, isn't she the cutest? And of course her beau Bobra was there too. We like Bob so much that we call him Bobra, at least me and Lindee do. He treats my mom like a queen so we let him hang around sometimes.









And look at my baby sister, she is all grown up with a boyfriend who shares the same name as my hubster Albert. For those of you really dense people, Albert is not my hubster's real name, it's Alex. You thought my husband's name was Albert this whole time? You are so gullible I swear!



Here's Alyse's Alex, not as cute as my Alex of course but I may be biased. He is pretty funny and makes me laugh. Look at this face, don't you just want to pinch his cheeks off? Yeah, thought so.



They made a pretty mean water balloon volley ball team. They only dropped the ballon 22 times out of 22 water balloons. Here's a great shot of Alyse's behind.





The highlight of the day for me was when my long lost neighbor Nicole came and stole me away. I haven't seen Nikki in like 7 years. For real.



We grew up living next door to eachother since we were 5 years old. Oh the stories I could tell! Mostly of me going to her house and, being the clutz that I am, breaking pretty much everything I touched. Yeah, I was that annoying neighbor kid.

Or sitting on her comforter that we were not aloud to sit on. Her mom sewed the comforter herself and declared it a "butt free" zone in hopes to keep it nice and fluffy.

And making Nikki play the Sweet Valley High board game that I loved so much and that she absolutely loathed.

And eating Ramen Noodle soup full of shredded cheese....yum!



It was so good to see her and it brought back so many memories.



And being the big pimp that I am, I just wanted to say,

"Hey boys, Nikki's single! I could totally hook you up!"




(I am SO dead.)

47 comments:

Lee said...

Dogs flock to me. kids run away and cry. Great post. I love the water balloon volleyball, how fun!!

Rebecca Jo said...

You're the aunt... that gives free reign to give sugar & all things bad for kids to their little pitiful faces. How can you resist. My nieces KNOW who to come to....

Babies galore!!! What a fun day that had to be!

Never heard of water volleyball - going to have to give that a try! That'd be great with our youth group too!!!

Karin Katherine said...

I am concerned that Brolin is surrounded by too many blondes. His future wife is a brunette. He better not get too used to the blonde hair over there.

That little girl was cute, but seriously I wanted to body check her when I saw her getting close to my future son-in-law.

I think his mama and I will get along great. I don't do the sugary substances either! But I'm sure we'll both forget that when we are in grandma competition!

Stephanie Faris said...

Beautiful family. I just have one question...how do you keep the water balloons from popping? OH, I get it...is that why Kelsi doesn't open her eyes?

Rebecca said...

I'm liking the looks of water balloon volleyball - fun fun!

Hernandez Family said...

I love silly traditions!!! I wish you were my aunt. I remember Nikki telling me that you would play that silly game. I never got to sit on the puffy comforter I am jealous now. PS you are so dead but I would have done the same thing!

brokenteepee said...

Sounds like such great fun. All my family is in NJ and I am in Montana.

Loooooooooooooong drive.

I miss my nieces and nephews like crazy.

Jen said...

I am so getting my family to play water balloon volleyball at our next function. How fun!

Liz Mays said...

I am instituting water balloon volleyball at our family functions although it may likely end up to be a water balloon war.

Your family is like a model family. You're all some type of cyborgs, I'm sure of it.

Anonymous said...

Waterballoon volleyball looks like a blast! May have to try that!

Kristina P. said...

Can your family adopt me?

Marissa said...

It amazes me how many people have never heard of the classic water balloon volleyball! I wonder if it's a Utah thing and I just never realized it. And HA HA HA!! I'm laughing so hard right now remember Nic's puffy quilt that her mom made. I remember we used to sit on it but keep one ear open for her mom so we could jump off when she came up. That's too funny! The things you remember!!

Janelle said...

I love big family get togethers, looks like alot of fun! All them babies are soooo cute!

Wehrle said...

Ha! You guys are so funny with the volleyball! Your mom has the perfect yard for it! Soooo, what happened to my other favorite Marsden family, ash and ben?! They just like disapeared off the face of the earth! I haven't heard from them in MONTHS!!

Megan said...

I can say that I have never in my life heard of water balloon volleyball. Is this something your mom made up? LOL

And I do not think that you had any fun at all. Brolan and the other babies didn't either. Not a bit of fun was had there. Poor babies!

Unknown said...

Whoever invented water balloon volleyball is the biggest pimp of all. LOVE that! Great photos, too.

Winks & Smiles,
Wifey

Nana said...

Seems like a perfect tradition to me, and what cute little ones.

Janalyn and Rob said...

I LOVE water balloon volleyball, but no one up here has even heard of it. When I describe it, I am met with a bunch of blank stares. Maybe it's a Utah thing? See, UT has its cool points!

AiringMyLaundry said...

I want to play water volleyball! It looks like fun.

I remember that Sweet Valley High game. I liked it! I also had a Babysitters Club game.

Suzi said...

Good times! Love the water volleyball. That would be a kick in the pants!

Lee said...

You have THE most amazing family.
You guys are always having fun. I'm ridiculously jealous.
What other family plays water balloon volleyball?

Ryan Ashley Scott said...

I'm sure the sugar demons had nothing to do with the babies flocking to you! It's the hair - they want to pull it. ;) Such cute bebes all around! Water balloon volley ball.... now that's a sport I might get into.

Julia said...

Warning: Girl with eyes closed! You are waterballon fodder! I would have creamed you.

Baby Brolan was like "WTF MOM!!! Where have you been hiding all that sugar momma!!"

SIngle folk should not be any where near you or your blog... Unless they are wanting fixin' up that is.

Yes that is a rather strange ceremony of balloon volley ball. Strange indeed! It's nothing like shoveling salsa into your pie hole all day long.

nicole said...

haha, you're not dead. I need all the help I can get at this point ;) (But not the best pictures to try and sell me.) ok not really, I'm loving life! And I loved seeing you! Oh my infamous puffy guilt. Good times. I was talking about you this past weekend when I went past Grandma Gene's house. We have some good memories! Don't forget about the times you would make me play barbies too :p

Jon and Steph said...

You're family is seriously adorable! Every time I see your pics it makes me miss my nieces and nephews back home!!

And water balloon volleyball looks awesome. How fun!

Glad you had a great weekend.

y u l z said...

you're family is superb ! and the babies.. love the pics, they're so cute

Sally's World said...

HI, just visiting for savi suzy, what a brilliant blog, i laughed out loud, and now i need to set up a volley ball net for water balloon volley ball ;)I'll be back for more...

Unknown said...

Such a beautiful family! Seriously. And you guys all look like you have so much fun. Waterballoon volleyball- never heard of that.

Amy said...

I love water balloon volleyball. Haven't played it for a while. Those stories are so funny about you and Nicole. I wish I knew a nice guy to hook her up with.

Lori said...

Such great pictures! Water balloon volleyball looks so fun and Brolan is such a cutie patootie :)

LadyStyx said...

Kids flock to me too. I've got no clue why. Used to work for a school in Louisiana aseveral years back... I'd get mobbed in the elementary classes everytime I went in for the attendance binders. I kept saying that I wanted someone to get on their knees and take a picture of me because I needed to see me as the kids did to understand why I got mobbed all the time.

Kathy B! said...

I must know more about this waterballoon volleyball! What are the rules? Objective?

That looks like a blast.

And looking at all of those cute babies is making my ovaries scream for just. one. more.

JennyMac said...

Your family is so beautiful, Pooba. And if you gave my little man the sugar demon drink I may give that look too. LOL.

African American Mom said...

Water ballon volley ball--that 's a new one but I want to try it for some reason.

Yeah, you are so dead, unless she actually gets a great date out of it. Cross your fingers.

Justine said...

OMG, you and your family just crack me up! I have never heard of water balloon volleyball, but I've gotta tell you, it looks like a hell of a lot of fun! Even if your sister and her boy did drop it EVERY time. Your whole family is gorgeous, from babies right up to your mom. Wow, she's flippin' pretty! Now I see where you, Lindee and Alysse get those looks!

Now, if you live close to your mom why haven't you seen Nikki in 7 years????

Btw... It's "allowed", not "aloud". Argh, you idiot! heeheeheeeeeeeeeeee

Justine :o )

Alexis AKA MOM said...

That is so much fun!!!! I so want to play, well that is as long as I don't get hit with one! LOL

Those are such amazing pictures, your family is so pretty! You crack me up matchmaker :)

Hit 40 said...

So are we trying to win with the water balloons? Are there rules? I am so ADHD...

I would be trying to smack the other players with the water balloons. Great photos and party!!

Stacy Uncorked said...

You must divulge the rules and game play of water balloon volley ball - sounds like tons of fun and I never heard of it before now! :)

Your family is beautiful - and look like so much FUN!! :)

Queenie Jeannie said...

You guys are all so ridiculously blond and gorgeous and loving!!!! Way not fair!!

But I'm the mysterious, slightly older (read here experienced not old!!), hot redheaded sorta-sister. I can live with that.

Love the water ballon game!

CLUFF FAMILY said...

Oh Nicole- Yes- Kel you ARE so dead!

Anonymous said...

Ah, i love playing the water balloon volleyball at your mom's house. looks like fun.

Frogs in my formula said...

Your family get togethers sound WAY WAAAAAAAY better than mine. I may have to steal the water balloon volleyball idea.

John and Rachael Alexander said...

hahaha... love the Marsden parties and that one was rockin. Thanks for the great pic of me. you got some good ones of my daughters! It was great to see you!

theUngourmet said...

You sure have a lot of cute kiddos in your family! :0)

Julie H said...

Look at you giving that baby sugar!

We used to have big family parties for everything. Then my Grandma died and the whole family hates eachother now. Sucks.

ChicagoLady said...

What a great family get-together! Mine never does anything nearly so cool as water balloon volleyball. I guess we'd actually have to all get together at one time, huh? Being spread out in several states makes it kind of hard though.

Not much longer and you'll have all the kids doing anything you want for a bit of sugar. The perfect addiction! Bwahahahahahaha

*Rubs hands together and grins evilly*

scrappysue said...

water balloon volleyball? i so gotta try that next time we go camping!