75 Cousins

I come from a big family.  A really big family.  I have about 75 first cousins—give or take a couple.  It gets confusing.  Some of you are thinking, “Impossible.  She is including 2^nd cousins or 1^st cousins-once-removed or pets or something.”  But it’s really true.

Here I am with 4 of the 75.  Do we look related?  Our dads are 4 brothers (2 of these ladies are sisters, got it?)

 

My mother is one of seven children.  Four boys and three girls.  She is the next-to-oldest.  I am one of 22 grandchildren on that side.  

My Mom's family.  She is the tall girl in the front.

 My father is one of fourteen children.  (Basically my grandmother was pregnant all the time.  My dad joined the Navy at age 17 right before his youngest brother was born). Ten boys and four girls.  He is the next-to-oldest.  I am one of approximately 60 grandchildren on that side. 

My Dad's family.  He is wearing the sailor hat in the back.  His oldest sister is holding the youngest sibling.

I am the youngest of four children.  I have three children.  And they have two first cousins.  Yes, just two.  I can’t even imagine.

My immediate family at our wedding: me & my handsome groom, parents, 2 brothers, a sis-in-law and a niece.

We had a family picnic today (July 3) at my parents’ house.  They’ve been having this picnic annually for many years.  They decided at some point in time that it would be fun to have both sides of the family all come at the same time (what were they thinking?!).  About 75 people were there this year.  Yes, that’s a drop in the bucket compared to the total number possible including all the aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws and out-laws.  But it’s still a nice representation.  Everyone brings food and lawn chairs and we all try to catch up with each other since "the last time.” 

 

A boyfriend, a girl and her aunt.  (The girl is my daughter!)

This is just the "regular" food.  You shoulda seen the dessert table!

And we reminisce about the good old days.  Like the reunions when we were kids where we could eat ice cream with little wooden spoons and drink orangeade from cartons all day long.   "Remember, it was the place with the swimming pool with the giant sliding board?  And the merry-go-round thingie with seats and hand-and-foot bars that you pumped to make it spin around?"  How awesome was that!

She didn't have a little wooden spoon, but she did have ice cream!

My uncle, one of the 14 siblings.

In-laws and out-laws-- telling fish stories?

Of course, now we also compare cholesterol levels and what common genetic issues we have inherited.   But it’s great to be with people who have known you forever, who somehow look a little bit like you and who you had sleep-overs with 40 years ago (was it that long ago?)

In the foreground, my aunt & my mom-- 2 of the 7 siblings.

 

You know, I keep trying to get my parents to stop having these annual picnics.  They are in their 80s and it’s a lot of work to get it ready and clean it up.  But they love having it, and people love coming.  They don’t want us to lose the family connections, the aunts & uncles, cousin-niece-nephewness of it all.  I understand that.  And I know it won’t go on forever.  My kids with their two cousins can’t keep straight all of their great-aunts and uncles, much less their countless second cousins.   But it’s okay.  They will have their own traditions.  

Definitely out-laws.  But also my favorite picture of the picnic.  Thanks Lori!

You know what? 

I’m happy.  Just for today, I got to ride that merry-go-round with my cousins one more time.


P.S.  The best pictures you see on this post were taken by my photographer 1st cousin-none-removed, Lori.  I like her!  I'm gonna keep her.  And the rest too.