Heyo Friends and Family,
About one month ago, our family took a quick trip to Minnesota for our annual 909 Reunion. This year the Reckers hosted in Plymouth, MN. We flew into the US the day before the event and left the day after. Thankfully the kiddos did a pretty good job with the time change this time around. The travels on the other hand were rough… on the way there, Arden got sick from the plane food and threw up all over Samantha so many times that she ran out of spare clothes and had to wash them in the airport sink. Not pretty. A big shout out to the Reckers for letting us borrow their CRV and for leaving it at the airport for us with carseats already installed. A lifesaver after the horrendous travels we had. Then on the return, Merrick threw up (again on Samantha) in the van ride home… we later found out it was because he had Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease. Poor kiddo. While it was mild for him, he ultimately gave it to Arden who had a severe case, which lasted almost the full 14 days. Needless to say, that paired with our other life stuff was a lot at the time. Thankfully the time spent with our 909 crew was what we needed and it was completely worth it. Another meaningful part of this trip was Charity’s kiddos took their first flight ever to come stay at our house with her while we were gone. They had a great week swimming, exploring the area, and spending quality time together. We’re so thankful we were able to meet them before we departed.
The day before the 909 crew got together, we took our kiddos to the Mall of America where Merrick road the rides for a few hours and Arden napped. Such a blast. He’s a brave little love. Then we had dinner with the Reckers at their house that night before the rest of the crew arrived. Chipotle… yum! The next morning, we had breakfast with the Bomstads (we stayed at the same hotel) and they watched Merrick for us while we completed some paperwork (thank you!). Shortly after, the 909 assembled in a VRBO just north of the Recker’s home. It was the year of the 12’s… this being our twelfth year of reunion, and likewise we were at full capacity, with 12 adults and 12 kiddos (ranging from 1 to 9 years old) staying together. There was a ton of space for all of us, as the house was huge and boasted a theatre room, popcorn machine, two game rooms, two kitchens, and a hot tub. The weekend was filled with great food, a trip to the beach, kiddo shenanigans (so fun to see them all together), and lots of quality time chatting and being in each other’s presence. Things felt pretty under control considering the number of kids and our time changing babes. We felt like we were able to have some great conversations as adults throughout our time together. Something we miss while being away from our crew. These get-togethers are always a reminder of how much we love this group… they truly are our people. All-in-all, we had a wonderful time and we look forward to hosting everyone next year!
All our love,
xo Team Jansen
Team Jansen Abroad 