Cousins IV

 

They're everywhere! They're everywhere! I remember late one afternoon in 1963 when we were in the midst of our move from Quantico, Virginia to (eventually) Austin, Texas. I think we were in Grove, Oklahoma, having stopped to see my dad's Aunt Hettie. We had eaten an early dinner (supper) and the nine of us kids had adjourned to the motel swimming pool. There were only two other people at the pool, a couple who had been enjoying the quiet and their reading. Now, apparently they were enjoying the antics of a wild tribe ranging in age from 3 to 18 that had finally escaped from their automobile prisons after a long, hot day's drive.

After we were thoroughly cooled off and our exuberance subsided somewhat, the man called me over and asked me if we were all brothers and sisters. I told him we were and that we were moving to Texas. He told me that he and his wife were quite impressed by such a large, well behaved group of kids. They especially liked how the big kids looked after the little kids, and all of us were enjoying ourselves so much.

I'm reminded of that afternoon whenever my nieces and nephews congregate. Whether there are two of them or 10 of them, all you see are smiles, and all you hear is laughter and the enthusiastic chatter of friends, too long apart.

This picture of Gillian, Drew, Natalie, and Paul, in the hot tub was taken in late May 2004 at one of our biannual family reunions in Utopia.

 

This one, taken in Karen's and Richard's backyard, shows Paul and Cat on the trampoline, and Lauren, Allison, and Natalie waiting their turn. The occasion was our Labor Day/Cathie's Birthday celebration, also in 2004.

 

Here we have Daniel and Drew shooting pool on New Year's Eve 2005. You can't tell from the photograph, but there is a large party going on all around. At some stage the party will overflow to one neighbor's house and then another's, and 2006 will be underway.

 

This group, Natalie, Paul, Mary Clare, and Allison, is taking a few moments of rest in Karen's living room to regenerate some energy for the 2007 Labor Day/Cathie's Birthday festivities going on in the backyard and around the pool.

*****

Lauren is having her tonsils removed this week up in Arlington, so I guess she'll be eating ice cream as her family cheers for the Longhorns in the Red River Shootout. Most, if not all, of the Austin gang will be down at Ellen's and Stan's house in San Antonio, making sure South Texas is aware of each Longhorn exploit and every Sooner miscue.

Hook 'Em, Horns!