Thursday, August 8, 2013

Musical sheets and family reunions

Do you ever feel as though your social circle has reached maximum capacity?
 
Lately, I feel as though I am having a hard time staying in touch with all the great people who have become my friends over the course of the past year, not to mention all long-distance friends who have been in my life for a long time. Face book certainly helps, but it isn't nearly as intimate has a handwritten card or phone call.
 
This summer has felt particularly rich with family and longtime friends, and my heart is full to the point of bursting. 

We have had guests stay with us nearly every weekend this summer, which is a HUGE change for Nathaniel and I. When we lived in Maple Ridge we rarely saw his family and my family lived only a few blocks away. Our social circle was small, and overnight guests were a rarity. In the Chilcotin, some brave family members took on anywhere from nine to twelve hours of travel to visit us in the sticks. Fast forward a couple of years and I regularly count up to twelve people under our roof at a time. Our home has become the hub for holidays meals and get-togethers and  stop over for friends' traveling across the island or on the way to the mainland. This weekend my parents drove their bike on the ferry and spent two nights with us.


On Saturday we gathered at my Opa's old farmstead in Port Alberni for our annual family reunion, as well as a surprise wedding. My dad's family is incredible large ( he had 18 siblings) so I was thankful that everyone wore name tags.


 


I enjoyed reconnecting with my cousins and inhaling the most delicious lasagna and chocolate zucchini cake. And I got to catch up with my brother and his wife and their sweet baby girl. My cousin's husband snagged my camera at one point and took some of these photos. Thank you Peter! 






Claire and her cousin Kai.




My little brother and his baby girl
 

Aunty Gloria's sparkly toms



 
 
 Looking for creatures.... as always

 


 

 

 

 



 

No comments: