Photoessay #133 - Cousins

My four adult kids (even Naomi will soon turn 18) plus my niece at my father's memorial last April. My niece (age 13) is second from left. Otherwise, there they are...Danny, Susanna, Naomi and Ilana. Glad we could all be together, my mother paid the expenses that made it all possible. A very short trip, that works best anyway, who can deal with this crowd otherwise? Also, I smashed the memorial into the Pac 10 softball schedule and the other girls were also in school so no sense lengthening the trip.

Now, not everybody thought that fitting the memorial into the Pac 10 softball schedule was particularly important but I was glad that Susanna did not have to choose between appearing in a Pac 10 game in her senior season and attending her grandfather's memorial. However unrealistic my solution may appear, it worked. When my father passed, Susanna was on her way to play Arizona/Arizona State, she got back late Sunday night. Monday morning, she was on a flight from Eugene to Chicago where we met up with her. The memorial service was at noon on Tuesday (time of the picture). Before the reception, we put her on the bus back to O'Hare and she flew back to Eugene. By Wednesday afternoon, she was on the field in Corvallis starting against Oregon State. By Thursday afternoon, she was on the plane to play UCLA. Just the most nuts week of the Pac 10 schedule.

As usual, Susanna made her mark playing the day after her grandfather's memorial 2000 miles away...

From Goducks.com
Barnes then produced the game-tying run, with a slow rolling infield RBI single that pinch runner Blair Williamson was able to tie the game on from second.

The cousins enjoyed being together. Glad that Danny came, we sure don't see him much though relations are cordial. He wanted to come, was a great guy the whole time, was the first one who wanted to use the ironing board. I appreciate that all of my adult kids were good sports, I know I had to herd them around as if they were little kids but I didn't really have much choice, we had to keep everybody with the program. Another good reason that the whole thing was so short.

We stayed at a house that Wesley Willows owns which is appropriate for families Luckily my sister had checked it out earlier in the day and made sure there were enough beds. As soon as we showed up, the general group rearranged the place and the furniture. That was fine, the girls stayed in the living room, Danny had a separate room and so did Dennis and myself. Pretty jarring for my sister accustomed to being in control with one kid, seeing the whole place get transformed by the young adults.

This picture was taken in the parking lot of the funeral home after the service.