Yesterday morning I left NAC at about 8:15 to go to Longview. My cousin Christy's little boy was having his 2 yr birthday party at Pump It Up Jr. It is fun to watch the little ones jump around, slide, scream, and play...all the while knowing that they will all go home with someone else. But I always love seeing my family. I don't have brothers and sisters, so my cousins are the closest thing that I have. I love seeing their kids and how much they look like their parents. Wow!
After we had cake, Capri suns, chex mix and Blaze opened all of his presents we headed out to Libby.
Libby is a small community or area between Garrison and Martinsville where my grandfather and his siblings grew up. We had our first Farrell Family Reunion since I don't know when. They always have a Libby Reunion, but other families from the community come as well, but this was just our family. My grandfather's parents were James Alden and Lottie Mae Farrell. They had, and this is in no particular order: Oscar, Joseph, Doc, Ruby, Naomi, Eli, Cory Thomas...I think that is it. Uncle Cory is the only living child. But each of those had 2-4 kids each. There were 7 of their kids there and 8/9 were missing and there were still 30+ people there. So next years family reunion with more planning...no telling how many of us there will be.
Whenever we go to these family gatherings...my favorite thing is to hear all of the old stories. Stories about the family I never go to meet...stories that help me see my grandparents as teenagers. The stories always help me to see my grandparents in myself and the family I do know. I am always told that I look like "Aunt Maggie" that is my grandma, my mom's mom. She used to take care of me and the twins when we were preschool age. When I knew her, she was older and when I could actually talk with her, she had Alzheimer's. So, I didn't get to know her as well as I would have liked. My mom and aunt always tell me I act like her too. So I love to hear the stories. My boy cousins are automatically pointed out as Ben's grandsons. I love that I can still my grandfather, one of the most amazing men in Cody, Clayton and Clinton. I not only see him in their eyes, hands, or smile. I can see him in their love for the outdoors, their calm spirits, and love for God and their family.
But those Farrell's have the most beautiful eyes! And almost all the men stand alike. They don't put their hands on their hips, but on their love handles. It is the craziest thing, but it is so funny to watch them all standing and talking to each other...blue eyes, tall, same smiles, and their hands on their love handles.
I guess that is what makes us family.
One of the jokes yesterday is that everyone brought their coolers with food and drinks for the pot luck. All the coolers had FARRELL bodly printed on them. Ray, one of my mom's cousins, made the comment anyone could walk off with any of these coolers.
We got to see our families grave sites. And heard stories about loved ones lost. It is amazing to see so many people, good people come from 2 simple farmers.
I am proud to be a FARRELL.
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