Family Reunion

Last Sunday, my grandfather's side of the family had their annual get together.

I go pretty much every year, but I honestly only know about five people.


I can only name one person in this picture.


The crowd grew to about 65 or more by the time dinner was done. Folks gathered around in their respective groups and talked while children raced around chasing one another.

Humidity made the day sticky but under the pavilion the breeze kept us from sweating too much.



My great-aunt Ruth is the matriarch. She is 88 years old and the only one of two of my grandfather's six siblings still living. Uncle Max is the other one.




This is Uncle Max.

I did not know I had an Uncle Max until just a few years ago. Apparently he and my grandfather had a falling out maybe even before I was born. It has only been in this millennium that Uncle Max has attended the family reunions even though they've been having them every year for more than 15 years.

My grandfather died in 1976. Uncle Max looks a whole lot like him and has a voice similar in timbre, too. It gives me chills to talk to him.



This is my cousin, Matthew. I visited him in the hospital when he was born. He is my aunt's son (my mother's sister's boy). He is a nice young man and we usually see him and his family several times a year. They always come down at Christmas.



This is Matt's wife and his baby girl, Madison. Madison will be two in September. She is going to grow up to be some kind of researcher, I think, because she is incredibly inquisitive.

She also seems to adore my husband as she kept calling his name and running to him while we were there. He loves children so that is no surprise to me.