Family Reunion!!
10:16 PM - Sunday, Jul. 06, 2003
We are home from just an excellent, amazing, fun, great weekend. It was the Annual Family Reunion #3.
First, I am very thankful that I started this reunion three years ago. Thankful I was the first. Because the two reunions since--out of this world. I'm glad I was first so I don't have to live up to the previous year's reunion!
This reunion is my mother's side of the family. When I was growing up, we had a reunion every Memorial Day--rotated among my mother, her three sisters, and my grandparent's houses. My grandparents are no longer alive. My grandfather died in 2000--at the age of 100. He was born in 1899, and unless you are one of those that will debate on the turn of the century date, he lived in three centuries! Quite an accomplishment.
Of my three aunts, only one has lost her husband. I am one of 11 first cousins. And now, of course, some of my cousins are grandparents! It was fun seeing so many sweet babies, toddlers and small children running around.
I guess as my grandparents grew older, the reunion just died out. The last big one I remember was probably in 1976, celebrating my grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary.
I guess it was after my grandfather's funeral that the idea of another reunion was kicked around. We had just moved into our current home, so I was ready to entertain. I only had to mention the idea once, and everyone was ready! That was two years ago, and we had a wonderful time. I thought I did a great job of putting it all together, but I am SO happy I was first.
This year's gathering was switched to the July 4th weekend so we could also celebrate my aunt's 80th birthday. 80!! And she is still going strong--just as sweet and fun as ever. The parties this year were held at her daughter's houses. Saturday night was at Donna's. Huge backyard with big trees, tables set up all over. A feast that was not to be believed. Hamburgers, hotdogs, and bratwurst to start. At least 6 different dips--yum. Fruit salads, veggie salads, and of course, a Texas staple, ice tea by the gallon. For dessert, probably 10 different cookies, brownies, bars--and 4 different kinds of HOMEMADE ice cream. Wow. I love homemade ice cream and just never get around to making it. I have the freezer and everything. My mother's generation can whip up ice cream in no time as they know the recipe by heart. I have to look up a recipe, go buy the ingredients, the salt, the ice. This reminded me that homemade ice cream is well worth the effort.
Another cousin has been collecting family recipes and put together a fabulous family cookbook. Beautifully done.
After dinner, we had a slide show of all of us growing up (and OUT) during the years. Just hysterical to see our fashions, hair, accessories change through the years. You could tell exactly what decade it was by our look.
You would think that party would be enough, wouldn't you? But NOOOOO! We are a family that loves to gather and loves to talk and loves to eat!
After a pretty much sleepless night in a motel (everytime I would drop off to sleep, one or the other of my boys would talk in his sleep--so a restless, no rest night)--we went to Judy's. She had coffee, juices, doughnuts, and a variety of fruit breads from 9 a.m. on. But that was just the beginning!
Lunch was enough to feed a small country. Our newest cousin-in-law (she just married my cousin and this was our first time to meet her) brought chicken enchiladas, refried beans and mexican rice. The best I have ever eaten. Oh, and tortilla chips she made herself. They live down near the border of Mexico. What a fabulous cook.
But wait! There's more!! Barbeque beef, 10 vegetables, 10 salads, 2 jello salads. I'm guessing at numbers, but I guarantee I'm not far off. And then, yes! Dessert!! A huge birthday cake for my aunt ( a surprise, so that was fun). Probably at least 10 different desserts. I would have loved to have tried some of each, but I held back and only tried three--the birthday cake, the german chocolate cake and a frozen strawberry pie. Oh my yum yum yum.
And yes, gallons more ice tea.
I am still filled with such a warm, fuzzy feeling from being with this family all weekend. All the girl cousins just pick up like we would if we saw each other yesterday. Talk, talk, talk. And what fun to have everyone brag on and compliment my darling sons--how handsome they are and how polite and how easy they are to talk to. Awwww. A mom's heart is proud.
I felt so totally at ease and comfortable the entire time. No pretense, no false fronts. These people know me, warts and all (I do hope you have heard that phrase as I truly do not have any literal warts!!) Just love and acceptance. It was an amazing time. I really did not want it to end.
But, alas, we did have to get home--a six hour drive awaited us. My sister ended up riding with us up there since her husband was really sick (high fever all week!) and couldn't go. She and I had a great time going up, talking nonstop. We left my cousin's house and headed out to run by the house/farm we grew up in/on just to see it. On the way she called her best friend who was also in town for a high school reunion. My sister suddenly bursts into tears. Her friend's mother had died the day before. She had been ill a long time, but it was still a shock. My sister was just distraught. I suggested she just stay in town til the funeral on Tues, then she can fly home. But there is work undone on the job, her husband (who is much better now), etc. I convinced her to only think of what she really wanted to do and everything else would fall into place. So she decided to stay. I drove her back to our cousin's house where she will stay til Tues. I know she wants to be there for her friend. I'm glad she was in town just for that.
Our wacky family has a weird sense of humor when it comes to death. We are a very very long lived family and for some reason we just have always had silly inside jokes about funerals. I will spare you more details--let's just say you'd have to be there and be as warped as we are. We have always said, though, that whenever we travel, we take our funeral clothes because if we don't, someone is bound to die, then what will you do?? And in the "old days" we really truly did that! We always took a dress, a suit for my dad, the good shoes, etc, in case someone died while we were visiting. You just never know! Even my sister and I joked on the trip up that she didn't bring her funeral clothes. But in this day, we think nothing of dashing to the store, buying a dress, hose, shoes, etc if there is a sudden funeral. And, then to prove our point, she has a funeral to attend! I wore a long black summer dress last night, so I left it for her if she needs to wear it. I think it will work--althougb she is
5 ft 8 inches and I am 5 ft 1 inch. It was a long dress on me, and made with lycra, so it will be shorter on her but probably still fit if she needs it. As I said, she can always hit the store tomorrow. Bless her heart. I hated seeing her so torn up. But my cousin will take good care of her. And my parents are still up there. They planned on coming home tomorrow, but they may wait til Tues and bring her home with them. It will all work out.
So that is the story of my weekend. I want this feeling of being totally, unconditionally loved to last for days, weeks, well, forever. It really felt good.
Night, now.
