We Are Family!!!!

Have all y'all been with me long enough to remember Obituary Bingo 2005 or It's Yesterday Once More of 2006 ? If not, click on the links to go back in time and then come back here for WE ARE FAMILY 2009!!!!!!

Last Saturday, a little of the little that is left of us, or 75% of the Aunties got together to celebrate family. If you have ever been to one of our parties, you will know how wonderfully nostalgic, how amazingly wonderful and how bitter sweet they can be. We get together to celebrate what is and to remember what was. WE ARE FAM-I-LY!

Now before I go any farther, I will apologize to two separate groups: those that came to see and those who came not wanting to see. It's well known that I am quite the photo maven, and to those who came to see incriminating photos, I am sorry that I failed you. For the first time in my life, I got caught up in the moment and forgot to take a million photos. I missed many things that happened...I am soooo sorry.

For those that came and did not want to see...I am sooooo sorry. I forgot to take many photos, but I took enough to make you want to run and hide. That's life.

Ahhhh, the history. My grandparents were proud parents of 12 children: 4 sons and 8 daughters. One of the most precious pieces of our history is the photo of my grandparents and their 12 children standing on the steps of the church. Sadly, I do not have a copy of this photo, but the minute one of my darling cousins emails it to me, I will post it here instead of this one:

Now I have four aunts left. Here are the three that were with us on Saturday:

Aren't they beautiful? Even now, looking at these women, remembering the hugs and laughter that we had on Saturday, and I am overwhelmed. Are we blessed or what? (sniff-sniffle)

But hey...want to see the rest of us?

We did some really weird groups...like this one...
That ^ up there ^ are (I think) kids of cuz's. I am going to admit that Maria's beautiful girls look so alike that I cannot, for the life of me, remember which is which. One of my darling cousins is going to have to help me remember them (Like Andy and Tony were born in alphabetical order) Help?


Then, for your perusal, is a photo of the gang that came along to watch over Aunt Helen!
Since all I had was my mother, I thought I'd sneak in and take a photo with a really cute family. After all, with my looks, I'm sure everyone would think I was one of the "Pic" gang.
Then they decided to take a photo of those on probation, who have not been in the family long enough to be one of the in crowd, like Joe S and John B and a few others...
Apparently John B couldn't get anyone to sit next to him!

Oh...he finally got Toots to sit with him...
But it looks like she really pi$$3d Aunt K off...Now I wonder what she was saying to her? By the look on Aunt Helen's face, it must have been really good!
Really REALLY good, since now Aunt Katy is holding her down so she can't get away!

Next they got the cousins to sit down with the Aunties...Yes! That IS Marlene!
After that, some people started BRAGGING...
Tell the truth, does Susan look like a grandmother? I think not!
More of Stacy and Sophia? You bet!

We do have some really strange relatives who are so 'with it' that they plan vacations in advance, like going to the beach, instead of coming to our spur of the moment gathering, and just phone in a visit. This is Valerie (on the phone) and Mary Agnes:
There were a few...not to mention names...(Ed? Amy and John, Leslie)...that just couldn't make it, so we talked about them! All good things, of course...maybe next time we'll do cardboard cut outs!

Some, like John M, were smart and got out of there before the cameras came out!

Some, like Aunt Elsie, couldn't come, but sent a big box of old (even older than some of us) photos for everyone to go through!

Some people came later...Like Kenny, JR. who is getting a lecture on promptness from John.
Oh, never mind, Kenny was working...

But here's Peggy...what was her excuse?

Looks like Mary Agnes and Maria are going to punish her by telling her that they only way she can come to our 'girl party' at Aunt Helen's is by flying!

We were there so long that we got kinda weird...

Some of us started hallucinating. I think Aunt Katy was having Taco Bell daydreams!

I know there are people reading this blog, shaking their heads and wondering what I was drinking...truth be told, it really wouldn't have mattered. This is my family, and I love them!

As I drove away, I already started missing them...and I can't wait to do it again, like next week?

This is not all that we did, this is just all that I photographed I'm hoping that someone can send me their photos so we can include them here (like the guys taking a nap in the shade). If anyone emails them to me...for sure, they will be here!

Oh, and if you don't recognize someone, just ask...and Ed, if you are looking for photos of me...

I'm the beautiful one!

Love to all...
Jan!