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sierciaThe reunion was fabulous. I am so incredibly glad that I went. Seeing my Aunt Bev and Uncle Charlie made me so happy, watching them play with Widget was amazing. Seeing Christine and Lisa and their families was wonderful. Seeing Widget meet all her cousins and family was neat, as was watching all the cousins (from 9 year old Patrick to 24 year old Nick) roughhousing in the pool at the hotel.
My Aunt Bev and Uncle Charlie are actually, technically, my great-aunt and uncle. But because my Grandpa was the oldest and Bev was the youngest of their families, she's closer to my Dad's age, and her kids are closer to my age. So I remember thinking her kids were just TEH awesome when we visited when I was a young teenager - they were in their early twenties, still willing to hang out with the 13 year old cousin, and well, just SO COOL.
Bev was also, I think, possibly my Grandfather's closest sibling, despite the difference in their ages. Because they were so close, we were all pretty close to them as well - all the older grandkids got taken out to California to stay with them and go to DisneyLand on their 5th birthdays, and when my dad took us on our cross-country drive, staying with them was a highlight of our visit. Aunt Bev and I were "pen-pals" for a while after I went to visit when I was 5, and she and my sister were too. In some ways, it was almost like having a third set of grandparents, albeit ones we didn't get to see often.
Even though now, we mostly just exchange Christmas cards and pictures, some of my favorite memories from my childhood come from visiting them and so they stay close in my heart, even if they're not really anymore.
There was a lot of family there that I didn't know as well - the reunion went back 6 generations, if you count Widget's - when you go back that far to find a common ancestor, the family tree is pretty divergent. But even the people there that I didn't know were wonderful.
Generations are funny things though - in this particular family tree, I'm fifth generation, and Widget is sixth. In the fifth generation picture, I was holding Lisa's daughter Laura, who is a year younger than Widget, but still fifth generation. I guess that's what happens when there's something like 15 years between siblings a few generations earlier. It's pretty nifty to think about.
Listening to some of the stories people were telling about my grandfather and grandmother was fascinating. My aunt has just written her life story, and I really want to read it when my Dad's done with it.
Widget seemed to have fun on her first (that she was aware of) airplane ride, and was as well behaved as a bored toddler can be. She seemed to enjoy having kids to play with, and developed a huge crush on her 15 year old cousin Brian. She spent some good time with her Grandpa and Me-mere and my Dad was pleased as punch to be showing her off to the whole family. I hope that this is something that we can organize and do again, and I think I'm going to try and get better at staying in touch with the relatives I do already know.
I think I may have solved one of the mysteries of my childhood too - my grandparents had friends that lived in Flushing, Gladys and Charlie, who we visited on occasion, and I remember hearing them talk about with regularity. I was never quite sure who they were though, besides being friends of my grandparents. I think that Charlie was actually another of my grandfather's brothers, since his grandaughter was at the reunion (and he did have a brother Charles). It's funny that Bev was always Aunt Bev, and I don't ever remember being introduced to Gladys and Charlie that way. Of course, I don't think I actually remember either of them, I just remember going to their house with my grandparents.
Families are strange wonderful creatures.
My Aunt Bev and Uncle Charlie are actually, technically, my great-aunt and uncle. But because my Grandpa was the oldest and Bev was the youngest of their families, she's closer to my Dad's age, and her kids are closer to my age. So I remember thinking her kids were just TEH awesome when we visited when I was a young teenager - they were in their early twenties, still willing to hang out with the 13 year old cousin, and well, just SO COOL.
Bev was also, I think, possibly my Grandfather's closest sibling, despite the difference in their ages. Because they were so close, we were all pretty close to them as well - all the older grandkids got taken out to California to stay with them and go to DisneyLand on their 5th birthdays, and when my dad took us on our cross-country drive, staying with them was a highlight of our visit. Aunt Bev and I were "pen-pals" for a while after I went to visit when I was 5, and she and my sister were too. In some ways, it was almost like having a third set of grandparents, albeit ones we didn't get to see often.
Even though now, we mostly just exchange Christmas cards and pictures, some of my favorite memories from my childhood come from visiting them and so they stay close in my heart, even if they're not really anymore.
There was a lot of family there that I didn't know as well - the reunion went back 6 generations, if you count Widget's - when you go back that far to find a common ancestor, the family tree is pretty divergent. But even the people there that I didn't know were wonderful.
Generations are funny things though - in this particular family tree, I'm fifth generation, and Widget is sixth. In the fifth generation picture, I was holding Lisa's daughter Laura, who is a year younger than Widget, but still fifth generation. I guess that's what happens when there's something like 15 years between siblings a few generations earlier. It's pretty nifty to think about.
Listening to some of the stories people were telling about my grandfather and grandmother was fascinating. My aunt has just written her life story, and I really want to read it when my Dad's done with it.
Widget seemed to have fun on her first (that she was aware of) airplane ride, and was as well behaved as a bored toddler can be. She seemed to enjoy having kids to play with, and developed a huge crush on her 15 year old cousin Brian. She spent some good time with her Grandpa and Me-mere and my Dad was pleased as punch to be showing her off to the whole family. I hope that this is something that we can organize and do again, and I think I'm going to try and get better at staying in touch with the relatives I do already know.
I think I may have solved one of the mysteries of my childhood too - my grandparents had friends that lived in Flushing, Gladys and Charlie, who we visited on occasion, and I remember hearing them talk about with regularity. I was never quite sure who they were though, besides being friends of my grandparents. I think that Charlie was actually another of my grandfather's brothers, since his grandaughter was at the reunion (and he did have a brother Charles). It's funny that Bev was always Aunt Bev, and I don't ever remember being introduced to Gladys and Charlie that way. Of course, I don't think I actually remember either of them, I just remember going to their house with my grandparents.
Families are strange wonderful creatures.
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(no subject)
Date: 2004-07-12 02:02 am (UTC)How is it that I never knew about Gregory? It goes back to what you were writing in my journal, about how sometimes it's not the things we know about each other that are striking, but the things we somehow missed.
I can't even imagine your mom with her hair down. I see her at the kitchen table with a book, her hair in a bun. I was never sure if she liked me until later on when we were in college, and then it came out that she thought I was the "good influence". Let that be a lesson to you with Widget. Watch out for the polite kid with the ponytail! ;)
(Tell your mom I said "hi" when you talk to her.)
Do you have reunion photos? I'd love to see them.
(no subject)
Date: 2004-07-12 02:44 pm (UTC)That they are :)
(no subject)
Date: 2004-07-12 06:07 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-07-12 06:09 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-07-12 09:20 pm (UTC)Let's see, how best would you remember me? I was at Jenn's wedding, not in the bridal party, but I did a reading and gave a toast. Went to East with her....name starts with "E". Good friends with her first boyfriend (Hmm, actually I'm not sure he was her first boyfriend, now that I think of it...but he was the one she went to both proms with.)....Hell, I don't know...I'm not sure you'd really remember me anyway, it's been a long time....
(no subject)
Date: 2004-07-13 04:14 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-07-13 04:25 am (UTC)I thought you did know about Gregory - but it wouldn't ever have been something I really talked about, since really it wasn't something that directly affected me since I was so young when he died (I was 4 when he was born and 5 when he died) and it certainly wasn't something my parents ever discussed. It's only in the ast few years that my mom has even talked about it with me at all. Now that I have Widget, I have such a greater understanding of how that must have decimated my mom, though.
I don't think she really liked anyone during my high school years, except maybe my sister's boyfriend Greg. Any really, compared to my other friend in HS, you WERE the good influence. How terrifying is that? But, the warning is duly noted =).
I hope to have some photos soon, but we'll see. I also asked my Dad to give me the pictures he had with him; there's some I want to scan so I can have copies of them.
Figured it out yet?
Date: 2004-07-13 04:25 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-07-13 05:54 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-07-13 11:05 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-07-13 11:08 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-07-14 07:02 pm (UTC)Chistine's oldest boy?
Date: 2004-07-16 02:11 am (UTC)