Bradshaw Family Reunion

This past weekend was the annual Bradshaw Family Reunion, down in Kinston, NC, where my dad grew up. My Grandpa Robert (my dad's dad), was that oldest of all my Great Aunts and Uncles. There were 12 or 13 and now there are only 7 still living. My Grandpa Robert died when my dad was 12 years old, so of course I never knew him, just in pictures and stories and my Grandma Daisy died when my dad was in his early 20's, long before my parents were married. So, needless to say, I have become very close with all my Greats because that is my only connection to my Grandparents that I have. It is so neat for me to listen to stories of them, they really just come alive to me and I am so grateful for all my Greats and I love them all very much. One of them, my Aunt Martha lives in Gloucester, VA and she usually comes to the Reunion but was not able to come this time, so there was only 6 Greats there. They all live in Kinston, or right outside of it so it was easy for them to be there. I was also able to see a ton of my cousins. (My dad's 1st cousins and their children and some even have grandchildren.) I love them all very much.

One day, when we are all in Heaven, I will have a huge family there. It is going to be great. On Saturday, we went over to the nature center where we normally camp at but we didn't this time. They have a wonderful nature center, with animals and a cave underneath all for free. Next to it, they have a planetarium and a children's museum and that is free also. I have been to the Nature Center tons of times, but I had never been to the planetarium/children's museum. I will never go back to the children's museum here in Richmond and pay $7, when I can just go down to Kinston and pay nothing for something better. They also have a brand new playground and a train that you can ride in with a tunnel for $1 a ride. It was so cool. My boys loved it, they rode the train Saturday and Sunday. The reunion was at the nature center pavilion. After being down there, I don't know why everything is so much more expensive up here, it just doesn't make sense. Overall, we had a fabulous time in Kinston and loved every minute of it. It is always bitter sweet when it is time to go back to Virginia. If we could move down there, I would in a heart beat, you would not have to pull my leg or ask me twice.