Nealons in residence at Highland Lake!

Every summer, in the second week of July, my family gathers at Highland Lake, Pennsylvania, near where I grew up. Most of us manage to make it every year, though we are scattered throughout the northeast, Minnesota, and Texas. This year nearly everyone is present - both of my parents, all nine of us siblings, six assorted spouses, and 22 of the 24 living grandchildren, who range in age from 2 to 20.

It is a wonderful time, with the kids constantly either in or on the water in paddle boats, canoes, and kayaks. We have to cook enough food for an army every day, but that's ok because my sisters and I make the most of the time we spend yakking, chopping and cooking together. I snapped these two photos, of lacrosse sticks and fishing rods, thinking with a smile that even if no one was in evidence outside the cabins, it would be obvious to any observer that the family is here in full force!