so while i was back home in missouri, i got the chance to see my father's side of the family. this is an incredibly rare event anymore, at least for me, because they rarely get together and when they do i'm usually not in town. but it just so happened that my grandmother, my father's mother, turned 97 while i was back home and the family through a birthday party for her. here she is in the middle with her 6 kids (my father's the one with the beard):
(yeah, i know Aunt Althea's eyes are closed and Aunt Twila's eyes are looking a little shifty, but it's a pretty good pic of the group and it's the only one i have for here)
anyway, here i am in the midst of the various grandchildren:
it's hard to tell if i fit in at all or seemingly too well. regardless, it was great to see this side of my family and extended members of it that i haven't seen in many, many, many years.