Birthdays Reunions And Nostalgia

 My baby is ten! And it must be scary... Actually, I don't know why the big eyes but the sweet and sour chicken was good and the using of chopsticks very funny.

 She was given girl Lego's for the main gift... Shaunti's birthday landed on the same day of a family reunion, so trying to figure out when to have the cake and gifts sorta got squeezed in the cracks of living.

 Andrew and Aletha Kauffman Family Reunion.

 Lots of visiting and family history... My sisters and I were talking and realized this group of Aunts don't gossip. At all. Instead they sit around saying what they "appreciated" about someone in their past history.

 Two of my favorite Kauffman cousins, Sharilyn and Phil, pictured here with their spouses.  Sharilyn is gentle and sweet and all goodness. OK, that cannot be said truthfully of anyone, but she has always been that in my memory. And I might actually love her a little more, cuz she poked me and said cautiously, "How do you stay so thin, considering our genes?"

  Great-grandchildren of Andrew and Aletha Kauffman...

 Jeanie, my neice and another great-grandchild... Jeanie stayed grubby all weekend. She made sure of that. Water and dirt are her faithful companions....

 And food too. On top the table while mom chops vegetables...

During church this morning.  Hearing about our heritage. Is our heritage a culture or do we treasure all the goodness we are taught enough to pass it down to our children? Will we post it on our door frames and speak of God when we lie down and rise up and while we walk along the road?

I don't have the greatest pictures but sure made a lot of sweet memories.  The aunts and uncles are aging. They walk a little differently, some having knee, shoulder, and hip surgeries. But they all have their same pep for living. Uncle Amos is still ornery and likes to be mischievous with a straight face. Aunt Anna remains quieter but gentle and sweet with a little bit of spit. Aunt Anita has kept her ready, sure answers and witty jokes. Three of the siblings are in heaven. I missed Aunt Eva this weekend but Annette, her daughter, somehow filled her gap. The same was for Uncle Dave who recently passed, his son Wayne passed along some of that same humor I missed in Dave and Barb both.

It's great fun to see what parts of you are inherited and from which side of the family. I found out that I am blunt and honest because I have Kauffman in me. I also noticed that my Kauffman relatives live life free of pretense and don't mind at all appearing as, 'what you see is what you get'. They are REAL, HONEST, and SALT OF THE EARTH. They don't put on airs for any one. I want to be just like them when I grow up. Oh wait, I already am...