07.04.2012: Happy 4th of July USA

As the day went on, we all started to wake up and mingle around our camp enjoying the view & cool weather. "The cousins" were in charge of happy hour!  They went all out with a delish spread of healthy and yummy snacks and food.

 

The kids got to play in the kids fun zone, which was so much more fun to the last time when they were a little younger.  They mostly seemed to have outgrown it (except for the little ones).  So, we all just hung out, relaxed, ate & drank!  And of course made friends with our surrounding neighbors.

 

07.04.2012: The Early Birds

So the way this works, is that you have to get up by AT LEAST 5am to go out to the grass area to secure your front row spot for the fireworks show that happens 17 hours later.  So, Vince planned to be up by then to drag out all the supplies to secure our spot, as we had in the past.  Luckily, this year Vince had some assistance & company out there in the cold & dark morning.  He got up about 3am this year, just because he was already up and ready to go!  Drake even got up and joined him for a while...he definitely wanted to be a part of the morning setup crew!  As the morning drug on, slowly Vince's siblings all joined him!  Which is great because for the most part, I was sound asleep (I don't do mornings in case you don't know me!!)  I did get up later and made the early crew some chorizo & egg burritos for all their early morning dedication :)



 

 Nothing to see here.....and no that is NOT a BBQ grill under those blankets!!  So, the story with this is that every year we have been allowed to grill there on the grass at our spot....as have the people that have been coming for years & years before us!!  So, this year, they banned BBQ's!!!! WHAT!!??  But later the security people said that you can take your grill over by the hotel area and grill there.  WHAAAAT??!!  Doesn't make sense either! But whatever, we had rooms so we just setup the food prepping station in front of the hospitality suite, and then carted it back over to the grass area when we ate. (More drama on this later in the day that I will share later)  For a while though, this is how our grill looked :)

07.03.2012: Hearn-fest Invasion Begins

Shortly after we woke, the Hearns started rolling into town with Greg & Drake flying in from AZ.  It didn't really stop until late into the evening with Jackie, Will and Katrina flying in from AZ as well.  In betwen there, we had Charles & Patty fly in from Texas; Eric, Karissa and the girls drive in from AZ; Christina, Lex and Justice in from Newport.  Sure doesn't seem like a lot in writing, but get all these people in a room, and you have a crowd!  We spent the day hanging out in the hospitality suite and greeting people as they came in.  I did most of the grocery shopping for the night and the party the next day.  Vince was super busy checking people in & making sure everyone had rooms.  Wouldn't seem like a big deal, but the hotel's computer system had been down for a week and they were working off of printed papers and people running around to the rooms to see if they were empty.  Kinda wierd, but hey, whatever works for them.  Made it stressful for us (Vince)...but it all worked out!!

 

Kids were over-wired and super excited to all be together.  Spent most of the evening out in the common grass area so the kids could run around and play.  Adults snacked on lots of appetizers and drinks!  It was Mexican theme night....so we had some margaritas, sangria, any mix you could imagine....and tons of food!  It made it so that we didn't have to leave the base and could just relax and eat right there. 

 

So, first night was comng to an end....but not before we had hotel security come and tell us that they had a complaint about us & the noise we were making.  I guess some lady was in the room right next to our hospitality suite & didn't appreciate the Hearn laugh!  Haha! Oh well....we weren't being ridiculous, just laughing and talking (which can be loud with that many Hearns in a room together!)  So, we promised to shut it down (it was 10pm anyways), and head to bed.  Tomorrow was going to be a looooong day for some of us!! 

 



 

07.02.2012: Hearn Reunion Checkin & Prep

Vince and I had spent the weekend out in Riverside, so on Monday morning we woke early and headed out to San Diego to start the checking process for all the rooms for the week.  We had planned to get there a day before everyone else so that we can make sure everything was in order, and prepare the Hospitality Suite.  Vince and I get an extra suite to host all the gatherings, so as not to invade any one person's room.  It works out really well because each sibling hosts a night to buy, prepare and serve all the food & drinks, and then clean it up afterwards!!  It not only helps distribute the costs of it all, but also makes it interesting in having everyone make the night their own.  It also saves us from all eating out every meal too!!

 

Glenn, Jan and Thelma also headed out from AZ on Monday morning so got in later in the afternoon.  After checking in & getting settled, we all (well, the girls) met up in the Hospitality Suite to decorate it and get it ready for the Hearnfest it was about to host!  Exhausted from the day of travel and chaos that Vince had to go thru in getting all the rooms secured and security access on base for everyone, we didn't feel like going out to dinner.  Glenn & Jan bought some pizzas and salads from Oggi's (one of my fav little SD pizza places), that was right across the street.  After chowing down, we were all ready for bed and some serious rest before the troops all rolled in the next day!  It had already been a long day, and the festivities hadn't even started yet!!!

 

With the convience of having our reunion over the 4th of July, the decor theme is pretty easy!  We go all out in USA gear and 4th of July decor!  It works out great because it is also an honor to the many ex-military members of the family as well....starting with Vince's Dad who spent his career in the Air Force for 20+ years!  Even though he can't be with us all to celebrate the holiday and celebrate the Hearn family, I know he is observing from up above and very proud of all his children.