Fam Damily

The rest of my weekend was chalk full of family time. Saturday I met my mom at her cousin's house for her mother's birthday. Not sure what that makes her to me. I should know because I recently became addicted to ancestry.com. If you haven't checked it out I highly recommend it. I've been getting groups of old photos from my grandparents on my mom's side, having them scanned and saved digitally and then sending them back for more. It's a Christmas present six months in the making because I know it will take me that long to get it together. (I can write this because I'm quite sure my grandmother would not find this blog in a million years. They only recently got an answering machine). I plan to put the family tree stuff in there as well so it is documented as accurately as I can get it. Plus, what do you really get grandparents for gifts anyway? By this time they have everything and don't really need more "stuff" that I envision either moving, packing or selling eventually.

Anyways, my mom's cousin did the alterations on my wedding dress 6 years ago and subesquently many pairs of my pants - I happen to be 5'3" which is exactly between a short length and a regular length so I always buy regular and have them altered to fit my high heels. So this is really the only reason I know my mom's cousin. I'm not sure how many people really know their parents' cousins.

This morning I hosted a "cousins" get together. (my cousins, not my mom's)

Long story short, four years ago my grandpa on my dad's side passed away. I remember because I had just found out I was pregnant and my grandpa got to make the announcement to the rest of the family which was cool - now there's a cool gift... but let's be honest we don't need to have too many of those announcements. After he passed there was what I call a "falling out" between the six brothers and sisters including my dad.

So my dad doesn't really talk to most of the other brothers and sisters. This is really incomprehendable to me since I can't even imagine not speaking to my brothers. But the cousins decided that even if our parents weren't speaking we could still speak to each other. We miss the big holiday gatherings at grandpas where you always knew there would be hershey kisses in the golden duck and that we would have to sit at the kiddie table - even in my 20's and after I was married.

So it has been awhile since we have seen each other and my brother is in town from the Air Force so it was a good excuse to all get together. It was fun even if it did have a few short down pours while we were outside. This is my brother and one of my cousin's in my 3 year old's swing set playhouse to stay dry.

Afterwards my brothers and I went to my parent's house to celebrate my youngest brother's 26th birthday.

So I am officially all caught up on family time after this weekend.

Today Tassie Ate:
1 ball from the ball pit
1 piece of jumbo sidewalk chalk
1 small finger puppet from a drug rep
1 small cardboard book