Both of my parents are from the same town in upstate New York, so when we go to visit my grandmother we are really visiting much of my extended family on both my Mom and Dad's side. It's not just my aunts, uncles, and cousins, but also first cousins once removed and second cousins.
Yesterday we visited my Dad's brother, Uncle Don. Despite living thousands of miles apart for nearly forty years I am always struck by the similar mannerisms and interests of these two men.
This morning we were visited by my good childhood friend Seth, his wife and daughter. They live outside of D.C. and I think we have only seen each other a couple of times since high school. It was a treat to see an old friend and meet his family.
This afternoon we were visited by a cousin I have not seen in maybe 13 or 14 years. Not surprisingly he is now married and has three children. His youngest son, Alex, is very interested in outdoor recreation and outdoor gear. Even though he is only 11, he has already decided he wants to climb Denali. I was able to show him my photos from my Denali trip and other Alaska adventures. All three of the kids were into hearing about Alaska, especially helicopters, float planes, and bears. Alex spent most of the rest of the afternoon pouring through an outdoor gear magazine pointing out all the stuff he wanted (the most expensive of everything of course).
Tomorrow is breakfast with my great uncle on my father's side along with many first cousins once removed and second cousins.
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| Aunt Helen, Grandma Crane and Molly proudly present a completed puzzle |
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| Showing photos of Alaska to my cousins |
