Equinox XII: Long Way To Go

This year's Equinox celebration was wonderful!  I think it gets better and better every year.  It was a great weekend-long affair of hanging with many old friends, some new friends, lots of dogs, and some children.  All of these folks make up the Equinox Family as Tom explained in his toast.  The food was delicious, the company was fantastic, and the weather couldn't have been more beautiful for an autumn gathering.

I took several of these pictures, but quite a few were taken by Brian and Miki Leach and Tom and Katie Rowan.  I had to steal some of their excellent photographs to get the most complete story of the weekend.

Thank you to everyone who made the event at the Susquehanna Farm possible and to everyone who came and made it awesome.  This weekend is one of the highlights of my entire year.

Friday afternoon horseshoe pit construction: Emily, Trafton, Daniel, Jim, Kaya and Cletus the dogs

We set up camp on Friday and settled in.  Here we are having dinner with the Rowan family and Jessica in the campground.

Trafton had a really great time pushing his wagon around the campground area and he pushed his lawnmower around the barn area down the hill.

Trafton found some of our empty beer bottles and decided to ham it up!

This was in the middle of me taking off Trafton's daytime clothes, changing his diaper and putting on his nighttime warm clothes on Friday night.  He got away and had a great time streaking through the campground.

Friday night - Quay and Jessica

Before our band, Cabinet, arrived on Saturday, Trafton and his new buddy, Justianna, did some tumbling in the barn.

Saturday morning in the campground with Tom and his eight-month-old son, Liam

Relaxing in the family shelter - I love how close Trekker, Tom and Katie's dog, is to sleeping Quay.  It was very protective looking.

Trafton was enamored with Justianna - he wanted to do everything she did.

Playing in the sandbox, I mean horseshoe pit

Cabinet's van rolled in during the afternnon and they got set up in the barn.

Horseshoe Tournament

Daniel and Tom - Daniel was one half of the 2012 champion team!

Pappy and Brian (Pappy and J.P. from Cabinet came to the farm early to get in on the shoe-throwing)

Joe and Brian - Brian was the other half of the 2012 champion team!

Jim and J.P. (with Mickey from Cabinet taking photos from the grass behind them)

Daddy and daughter

Tara and Jenny with Quay

Grill Master Joe S.

Grill Mandaster Joe P.

Rich, Megan, Beth, Gavin, and Baby Reid chillin' on the lawn



(A gentleman I did not meet)  Sue, Laura, Matt, and Morgan chillin' on the lawn



Brian and Daniel with Quay

Cabinet's late afternoon bluegrass set (minus drummer, Jami)

Here's to hoping Quay will have a love of music in her life!

Beautiful Mama Katie with Baby Liam making the most adorable face



Chris and Jake's dog, Cletus



Brett

Jessica and Quay

Watching Cabinet's afternoon set

Jessica, Jim, and Gavin

Joe, Tony, Chris, and Rich

Tom, Katie, Jenny, and Baby Liam watching Cabinet

J.P. and Dylan

Mickey

Todd

Pappy's playing guitar!

Trafton woke up from his nap to find Cabinet on stage!  He was a little bit in shock.

Daddy Tom dancing with Baby Liam

Love this little cutie - his special onesie says My First Equinox on it!

One of my favorite pictures that Brian took!

Another favorite that Brian took

Jessica

Jake

Kara and Miki

Jessica and Daniel with Quay

This year we ordered dinner from Balzano's Italian Kitchen.  While everything ws delicious (sausage/peppers, baked ziti, and salad), Trafton especially enjoyed eating the ziti for dinner.

Tara, Quay, Jenny, me

Family shot, except Trafton hates these

Chris and Rich





Trafton enjoyed creeping under the bar.

Tony and his son

Thank you Lille Hogan Club members for financially supporting this event!

Jason with his adorable little neice.  He was worried about having a beer can in this picture, but then I showed him the picture from the afternoon before where Trafton had two bottles in his hands and was 'drinking' out of one.

Time to go to the campground and get the kids covered in warm clothing - as night fell, it got pretty chilly.

Sangria Master Tom and his assistant, Jessica

Toast Master Tom gave a beautiful speech about the Equinox Family

Toastin' Time!

Steph and Karen with Quay

Jason and me with Quay

Jason and Adam

Jason and his very tired nephew

Karen and me with Quay

Lou and Karen

The second set - very rockin'!

Cabinet came back on stage and played a bonus third set (not part of their contract), but I missed it as it took me that long to get both kids ready for sleeping in the tent.  I came back down the hill just as they finished their final note. 



Daniel watching the second set with a tired little bear.



Brian and Jessica

Tara and Jenny

 Brothers Tony and Chris

Dancing with my little sweetheart

Karen and her tiny dance partner

Jim, Jake, Brandon

Sue and Brett

Jessica and Mike

Tom dancing with Trafton

Emily and Rich with Trafton

Justianna with her dad, Brian

Let the hay be tossed!

Tara, Jessica, and me with Quay

Tara showed Trafton how get in on the hay tossing!

Miki and me watching Cabinet

Trafton started off slow throwing the hay, but then got really, really into it!

Trafton slept soundly, although he had trouble staying on his sleeping pad.

Quay woke up a few times to eat, but other than that, she did well sleeping, too.  In the early morning hours, she didn't want to sleep in the pack-n-play anymore, so I just stuck her in my sleeping bag with me.

Jason and Quay in the morning fog in the campground

Morning view of the barn

Jason went to the bagel shop and got everyone breakfast that we ate around the fire.

Tom, Katie, and Liam in their new pop-up camper

The Rowan Family

Jason and Adam with Quay

Nick and me with Quay

Joe with the Beyer children - Kids just seem to love Joe :)

Trafton (sporting his Thomas pajamas) and Emily playing in the barn

Me with an adorable eight-month-old Liam

Morning snack time

Joe and Jessica with Liam

Lish arrived late in the night on Saturday and we all got to spend some time with her in the morning.  She has been a rare guest since moving to Washington.

Katie with Quay, Lish with Liam, and me

Jessica made her traditional zucchini parmesan for lunch on Sunday - Trafton is such a lover of all things tomato sauce and you can see him enjoying it fully in the behind the Rowans.

Bloomsburg alumni: Jay, Rich, Joe, Tom, Jim, Lish, Jenny, Jessica, Daniel, and me

Time to pack up and head home - it's always a little sad when the weekend is over.  It is such an emotionally filling time for everyone with all the love that goes around.