Family -- we've got FAMILY!!

Once upon a time, more years ago than any of cares to count, my grandparents had four children -- Jill, Archer, Clare and Victor (known to us all as "Uncle Dee Dee" which means Little Brother in Mandarin Chinese). The family has grown to 13 grandchildren, 29 great grandchildren and I think 3 great-great grandchildren.

The four children were born and raised in China -- Lao Lao (which means "old old" in Chinese -- and is the name of the mother's mother) and Granddaddy having been missionaries there from 1913 to 1949 (and then another 10 years in Korea). Of the four, three became missionaries for varying lengths of time -- Jill & Fred to China and then on to Australia, England and Ireland. Archer and Jane established Jesus Abbey in S. Korea, Clare & Glen were in Japan for many years.

The grandchildren too, have settled in far flung places -- Illinois, Michigan, Mississippi, Berlin Germany; Pennsylvania, Tokyo Japan, Missouri and Florida. Only one of the 13 grandchildren is a missionary, though several are in the ministry. Only one (so far) of the great grands is a missionary -- though it's early yet.

Today I was seeing a new mom in the hospital -- her sister was with her (three years ago she was another of my new moms) -- and I realized how envious I was of families that live close together. My siblings are in Mississippi, Germany and Michigan. When my babies were born, my mother was in Pennsylvania. Does this new mom realize how amazing it is that her family is HERE? With her?

But THIS weekend -- we had FAMILY! My cousin Dave (youngest son of Dee Dee) who is, I think, 3rd youngest of the grands (my sister Lyn and my cousin Bunny coming after him), was at Great Lakes Naval Station for his son Andy's graduation from boot camp -- or is that boat camp? Dave, wife Katie, his three kids -- Jeanne (who was a dead ringer for my Jill at age 2), Andy (who rivals my Tim in height), and Sarah (who has just about the cutest dimple I've seen) and Andy's friend Jacob, joined us at Weber Grill for dinner on Saturday night. We had a MARVELOUS time!! Not to mention the best server in the entire state of IL -- maybe the entire country! :>D



A point to be made here -- pictures add at least 20 pounds to one's frame.

Quite possibly the largest Weber Grill you have ever seen:



Well, if that wasn't enough, on Sunday, Cousin Slade Jr., a junior at Wheaton College came to see the family homestead (fondly known to the Torrey family as "618") and stayed to have Sunday dinner with us.

A parenthesis here: I cook "Sunday Dinner" maybe three times a year. One down, two to go.

Slade Jr. hails from the Clare branch of the family. It was WONDERFUL having him here. Slade (my cousin, his father) can't possibly know how much fun it is to have a Wheaton College kid in the fam, since although Aunt Clare & Uncle Glen both graduated from Wheaton (AND -- got married at our church AND -- had their wedding reception here) neither Slade nor his wife Peggy went to Wheaton.

I forgot to take pictures. Thirty lashes with slightly more than a wet noodle.

Sigh.

Then I got an e-mail from Lyn (sister in Germany). They had entertained my cousin Bunny's (Archer's branch) fiance, Nathan this weekend for dinner.

OK, what are the odds that our branch of the family would end up seeing at least one member of each of the other branches of the family -- especially one in Germany -- all in the same weekend?

Go figure.

But OH -- family is SO wonderful.

I hope all that marry into it realize how amazing we all are.... BIG GRIN HERE!!