Hanging with the Gerbers

The cousin of mine who was married last weekend was my mom's brother's son. My mom was raised in a family with 11 children. Can you imagine that? I think that our family of 5 is big, I can't even begin to imagine life with 11 children. It was great to spend some time with my aunts and uncles this weekend because we don't see them very often. We have a Christmas dinner every year and often have a BBQ in the fall, but that's pretty much it. I wish I had more opportunities to hang out with them because they are a great bunch!

In the hotel me, my mom and 2 of my aunts sat around after the wedding and chatted. It was so great to learn more about them. We got onto the topic of our births. It amazes me how women remember their birth experiences with such clarity even 30-40 years after the event. That's one of the reasons why I'm a doula, because i know how the event stays with a woman for the rest of her life.

Joel had fun hanging out with the uncles and my dad too. We were the "young ones" in the bunch, but we never felt left out :)



Here's a picture of my rebellious uncle who kept sneaking desserts before they were served. Even after the announcements to NOT eat the desert yet, he threw caution to the wind. It was quite amusing. Anyone who knows my mom will see exactly which one she's related to in this picture!



Here's another picture of another aunt and uncle:


Another moment that I enjoyed while hanging with the Gerbers was learning a little more about my Grandparents, or at least having memories jogged of them. Unfortunately in such a large family with so many Grand kids it was nearly impossible for my grandparents to invest a whole lot of time in hanging out with us. I was fortunate to go to the same church as them (ours was the only family that stayed in the original church), so I probably hung out with them more than most of the grand kids. For that I am fortunate. I am saddened by the way my memories have faded though. I know I spent some sleepovers at Grandma and Grandpas. Here are some of the memories I won't forget:

Grandma's big dinners with her stewed prunes that I loved so much
Poor Grandpa drinking his cod liver oil every morning
Grandpa and I chatting about the Leaf games at church the next morning
Driving Grandpa's little tractor around their backyard
How incredibly talented they were...my grandfather in woodworking, my grandmother in quilting and crocheting (she made EVERY grandchild a quilt for a wedding gift...can you imagine?!!)

I don't recall my Grandparents being very affectionate. I know at one time when my Grandmother developed cancer and had surgery to remove it i visited her in the hospital and I'll never forget her giving me a hug and telling me that she loved me. I think it was the first time she'd ever said that (I was in my mid-teens at this point). I never doubted their love for me, but it just wasn't something that was talked about. I remember as a child always making a point to give them a hug after church though...that was cool.

I wish there had been more video cameras around when my grandparents were alive. I do have a little snippet of video from 7 years ago, but I wish I had more. I look forward to being reunited with them someday in Heaven.

Mel