It seemed that nearly every month we were meeting up with other local relatives when I was a kid. It also seemed like every summer there was a family reunion or two. I'm sure the actual frequency was much less, and perhaps it just seemed that way when I didn't want to go!
We haven't been able to make such an event in recent years, and the frequency of these events are WAY down. This past weekend, though, we had a chance to meet up with a few relatives we haven't seen in a while, and also one I've never met!
I could tell a lot of interesting stories about some of these people, as you might imagine, but many of them read this blog and could just end up telling stories right back. We don't really need that, do we? So, instead, I'll just post some pictures and tell you who everyone is! Besides, there have been so few photos on this site this week... (It's a joke, people)
First, there is my mom and dad. They often comment on this site. This picture was taken right after dinner, right around the time I ran out into the rain with my camera (see yesterday's post).
This is my Aunt Lillie. She's my mom's sister. We were celebrating her birthday, which was the excuse for this get-together. She lives in St. Paul, Minnesota. She has an accent, which is weird since she grew up in St. Louis where we don't have accents. When I was a kid, we occasionally traveled to her and my Uncle Karl's house to visit. My big memories from there include the ferns (we have some at my parent's house!), playing in the garage rafters with my cousins, and playing the harpsichord they had built. My uncle sadly developed Alzheimer's and died earlier this year. He was a smart guy and fun to talk to.
This is my niece, Emily, who you've seen or heard from quite a bit on "One Dad's Life." She's cute, which is why I included this gratuitous picture of her.
This is my sister Kimberly, she's Emily's mom...and Benjamin (not pictured), as well as the wife of Mark (not pictured). I pretty much helped make her who she is today. In return, she stole my shopping cart. True story.
This is my Aunt Linda and her husband Dennis. I'm not smart enough to work out the relationship here. Aunt Linda was married to my mom's brother, who died at a young age, and she later married Dennis. I'm not sure if that makes him my uncle, a twice-removed something, or just Dennis. "Just Dennis" doesn't seem right, though, as he's part of the family! My Aunt Linda was the first person in my family that I remember having dogs. I think that's part of the reason I've wanted pets, and I've had them ever since I was in Second Grade.
This is my dad (on the right) talking to my cousin Ronnie, and his wife Kathy. I haven't seen Ronnie in quite a while, and actually don't know if he still goes by "Ronnie" or if he's shortened it to "Ron", which is his dad's name. I'm also not certain I have the spelling on his wife's name correct. This was the first I got to meet her. They are both very tan, which I'm jealous of, because the only way I'd get that tan would be if I jumped in a vat of Kiwi shoe polish. I burn if my kids go outside, so I maintain a sickly pasty pale complexion. They get it from all the outdoor activities they do. Again, if I tried that, I'd probably explode.
This couchful of people includes, L-R, my cousing Karen, Aunt Nancy, and Uncle Ron. Karen is Aunt Lillies' oldest daughter and returned to the family's traditional occupation - farming - when she married her husband Virgil. She now lives on a farm in Southern Illinois, which was probably a smart move from the eternal winter in Minnesota. My Aunt Nancy and Uncle Ron are the parents of "Ronnie" and also live in the St. Louis area. They were the first people I knew that had a dish-washer and cable TV. They also used to have a model train layout that folded up against the wall. Every time we went to their house, we begged for them to take that down and run the trains. Uncle Ron is quite the story-teller and is quite proud that he is not the oldest in the room - as if he had anything to do with that.
This is Virgil, Karen's husband. He's the one who brought farming back to our family! For my family, who are definitely on the urban side of things, listening to them talk about the farming life is an amazing thing! I'd probably go crazy not having everything in the city just a few minutes away (It takes 12 minutes to get to the main downtown library!), but both my wife and I would love to be able to have horses. Still, I put the country as a nice place to visit - and relaxing - but love the city too much.
So, there you go, a glimpse into a bit of the family!
