Family Gathering

I spent the weekend of August 11 in Tisdale with my mom's side of the family. We all gathered to share in the celebration as Brooke & Candis were married. Brooke is my cousin Dwayne's son.

My Aunt Ethel and my cousin Ronnie were out from North Vancouver BC. My Aunt Esther and my cousin Kerry were out from Kamloops BC. We all met up on Friday night at the Tisdale Hotel. There was Al and I, my cousins Marilyn, Marlene, Kerry & Ronnie and my Aunt Ethel & Esther. It was wonderful to catch up with everyone again. I hadn't seen my cousin Kerry since my wedding 19 years ago and my cousin Ronnie I met only once before and that was about 30 years ago. The last time I seen my Aunt Ethel was 17 years ago at my Uncle Ralph's funeral and my Aunt Esther I see last summer when she was out to Tisdale to visit. For my husband and children this was their first time to meet meet my Aunt Ethel and cousins Ronnie & Kerry.

This past weekend was very much like a Family Reunion. The morning of the wedding wasn't looking too promising for an outdoor wedding. It was cloudy, cool and bit of rain in the morning, by the afternoon the sky cleared up and sun was shining, it turned out to be a wonderful day for the wedding. After the service my aunts introduced me to many of my mom's cousins and childhood friends. Many of them I met years ago, some I remembered and some I didn't. They all told me how much I look like my mom. Even my kids & my husband were telling me that I look like my Aunt Ethel in many ways and in other ways I look like my Aunt Esther, which I guess says they look like my mom.

Sunday we met the aunts and cousins at their hotel. Aunt Ethel and Ronnie went to visit relatives of Uncle Jim's, my aunts husband. Aunt Esther, Kerry and us went out to the South Star Church & Cemetery. This is where my Grandma & Grandpa Sharpen, Uncle Ralph and other relatives are buried. We spent nearly 2 hours at the Church, walking through the cemetery finding relatives graves and talking about family.

We ended our trip to Tisdale at my cousin Marilyn's house for a family BBQ.

We gathered to share in the joy and to celebrate Brooke & Candis. It also turned into a small Family Reunion. It was wonderful for us all to be together on such a happy occasion. Family they are also constant in ones life, and I feel blessed to have such a wonderful family to spend time with.