We had fabulous time at our Grandparents. I used to cry because I wanted to move there. I'm on the first step on the left and my older sister is behind me. The others are my cousins.
This was their house. My Grandpa built it after their house burned down when my Mom was a teenager. She said as she got off the school bus the driver told them their house had burned down while they were at school. It was over 100 miles from where I was raised, but we visited usually at least once a month. Half the time though an Aunt would show up and take us to their house to play with cousins.
I love this picture of my Grandma and my youngest sister. One of my cousins seems so sad that Grandma and Grandpa are gone. I'm not sad. As a Christian I know I will see them again.
My Grandma and me.
My Mom's youngest sister, Adria. She taught 4th grade a few years in Lousiana. She lived there her entire adult life. She died less than a year ago. My cousin Deanna is on the right. She said yesterday on facebook, "I remember Grandma making you roll your shorts down, but you rolled them back up as soon as she wasn't looking." Deanna had the cool Mom and Grandma knew it wouldn't have done any good to tell Deanna to roll her shorts down!
My Mom's oldest sister, Marion. She has been gone a few years. She and her husband taught school in California.
Aunt Marion after her kids were older. The blond was her son's wife.
Aunt Joyce. She was one year younger than my Mom. They owned a sawmill. That is why they had plenty of money for clothes... lucky me. I have no problem with hand-me-downs.
Aunt Joyce's girls (except my older sister is in the light blue). I got a lot of my clothes from my cousin Jeannie (far left), which was a great thing because she had nice clothes.
One of my Mom's brothers. She had 4 brothers. This is his wife and 3 daughters.
My Mom's sister Aunt Nita. She may have been the one who first got me thinking of adopting. She had 4 biological kids and adopted an Indian (as in Native American) baby. I got to meet him before her kids did, because we lived close to the airport. We babysat her biological baby when they flew to pick the baby up. I went nuts over the new baby even though I was probably only about 10 y.o. I remember his jet black hair stood straight up. He was so cute.
This was Aunt Nita's store. So cool with wooden floors. Later they built a new one, but I never loved it like this one. That was my brother with his arm on his hip. I'm sure he was waiting for Uncle Leon to offer him a free pop. LOL
My Mom. She was stubborn and over protective. She never said an unkind word to me when I was a kid, but when I hit puberty we didn't stop fighting till the day she died. But we still talked on the phone or saw each other EVERY single day.
This was me. Mike saw this picture, and said, "you haven't changed a bit." As in, I'm always up to something.
My Dad was not exactly "into" my Mom's family, but he did always show up on Sundays to bring us back home.
These are aunts on my Dad's side.
My Dad's Mom and more cousins! That is my Grandma Archer in the back. I don't think that is a gun she is holding, but you never know!
Last, but not least my brother. And, he is my full brother, and not adopted, and we are supposed to be white people?????
