It’s been 17 years since we last had a family reunion on my mom’s side at our farm. Since then, the Hennings have added spouses and children, moved across the country and lost some loved ones … and also hair. But we haven’t lost our smiles and ability to reconnect.

We enjoyed an absolutely beautiful day catching up, snacking on favorite recipes, playing lawn games and watching the kids bust open a tiki pinata. It’s strange to think I was an 8 year old running around our farm playing kick the can with my cousins at the last reunion here.

This past Sunday was also Father’s Day. Even though I didn’t get a lot of one-on-one time with my dad, it was refreshing to see him sitting down in the shade and taking a break from work for a little while. Plus, watching him interact with his grandson, Lucas, melts my heart.

The swing was also a big hit with the kids.

Even if they got tuckered out …

Here are some other glimpses of the day.

Even though not everyone in the family could make it to the reunion, we still had a great turnout considering people live as far away as California, Texas, Arizona and Florida.

We have certainly changed since 1998.

For more photos from the reunion, check out this Flickr album.