Ever get some wild thought or idea in your head and just have to go do it right then, or at least start making plans to do it, for fear that it will never happen if you don't. That is happening to me more often of late. Can't decide if it is just another side effect of getting older or life's reminder that my past is way longer than my future.
Recently, I had to get a pen and paper and count the size of my family. Why wouldn't you already know this, you Ask? Well, because my family is large and I've been guessing at the actual number for a while now. I finally decided I had to get it right.
The tally went like this:
Me and the Old Salt 2
My child and her spouse 2
grandchildren 1
Parents 1
Siblings 12
Siblings spouses 10
Nieces 14 -- Nephews 12
Niece's and Nephew's spouses 7
Great-Nieces 9 -- Great-Nephews 4
If my math is correct that makes my mother the matriarch of a family of 74 people who gather around her each holiday. By the end of the year that figure will change. We have a wedding and a new baby scheduled this fall. (not the same person) Add in all the boyfriends and girlfriends who attend our family gatherings and Christmas should see the headcount go into the eighties.
 L |
| Last family photo taken on my Mother's eightieth birthday in 2006. Count heads and you will find that we have grown a bit since then. |
I'm sure your next question is going to be "how far off was your guess?" Truthfully, if I added in the boy/girlfriends, I was short by a few. Now I should go count my Aunts, Uncles and cousins......Oh My!
This is where it all started. My parents and their baker's dozen in 1972. I'm in the back row far left.
Linking to This and That Thursday
What fun! You definitely have a large family! I will never again complain about having to seat 14 for family dinners! Occasionally I have 16, and have even had 20 at a time - but not since my previous marriage have I been in the presence of so many family members at one time! When they used to have weddings, the immediate family, counting cousins, etc., was over 250!
ReplyDeleteLinda, our family reunions could easily add to that many or more if we could get them all to show up.
DeleteWhat an adorable group;)
ReplyDeleteI love your pictures - isn't it fun to look at them every so often. You do come from a large family - it is lovely to see.
ReplyDeleteWhat a crowd and it is amazing that so many are able to make it for get togethers. That is such a contrast to my family. We are a family of only children. My Mother, myself, and my son are only children. My father is not here so we are a family of four. On my husband's side there are only ten.
ReplyDeleteAmy, Considering how spread out most families are we are rather fortunate. Surprisingly most of my family still live in the same area where they grew up. In an emergency we have five who would need a plane ride and ten with drive times ranging from ninety minutes to seven hours.
DeleteLove the pictures. How great to be part of a large family.
ReplyDeleteFunny - our generation really were products of big families. My grandmother was the matriarch of 74 as well, my mother - not so much :-). I am so surprised that a family that large can still get together at the holidays, how blessed you are for that.
ReplyDeleteMy! You do have a large family :0) Nice that you all still get together for special occasions.
ReplyDeleteOh...My goodness, Rita! your family is huge...and, oh, so wonderful! You have been blessed!
ReplyDeleteI'm chuckling at your Senior Moment comments! I'm afraid that I have my moments daily...!! Ihave a plaque in my sewing room that says..."Growing Old Ain't for Sissies"!
I think hand embridery is coming back. So many blogs are filled with sweet projects and the gals are quite young tha are doing it.
I hope you have a great weekend, Rita.
Blessings and thanks for popping in!
Carolynn
Great post ~ Wow! Big family ~ lovely photos ~ thanks for coming by ~ ^_^ (A Creative Harbor)
ReplyDeleteWow! What a big, beautiful family! I bet things are quite exciting around the Christmas table and tree each year! Do the adults just buy for the kids, or are names exchanged, or what, concerning gifts. It always starts to get so HUGE! :-)
ReplyDeleteI got very tickled over your comment on my agave! :-)