High Flyin'

Our family extends, quite literally, from one end of the country to another. So when a pandemic arises and it is deemed unsafe to travel with crowds, we go without seeing family for as long as it takes. It took a long time. As of March, 2021, over one year since COVID-19 brought the world to a halt, all adults on Daddy's side of the family are vaccinated and my brother and sister-in-law align the stars to allow us to travel safely together for a much needed family reunion. 

Via private plane. Cheers to that! 

Gretchen looks good as co-pilot, but I assure you, there were professionals flying this bird.

Gran and Poppa coined the occasion Gillstravaganza, an appropriate title for the first time we have been all together in years. The same forces that kept us apart kept us altogether for the whole of our trip. Thank goodness we had a comfortable place to stay!

Pizza is a fun and functional activity for a night with family. While Gran works tirelessly behind the scenes to make the dinner smooth, all other members feel like part of the process to build, design and bake their own personal pizzas. New recipes and creative toppings mark every pizza night, and Poppa had more help than he bargained for while working the famed oven itself. 

Chef Alex and his masterpiece

This trip included a birthday celebration for big girl Halle! It is so rare that we are together, it seemed only fitting that there was a time stamp for one of the cousins. Chocolate cake, chocolate milkshakes and ice cream - who could ask for anything more?

From start to finish this long weekend was a blast. The effort and coordination behind making this weekend possible is a testament to how much our family cares about being together. Halle's face sums up the sentiment perfectly.