Family History

I know I’ve said it here before, but my Granddad’s house has always been my favorite place in the world.  I’m sure it was because it was always filled with fun cousins and loving grandparents, but there was also something special about the street and house itself.  The street is lined with tall, arching trees whose branches almost completely blocked out the sky.  The yard was huge, and filled with trees, a badminton court and a pool with a little waterfall.  The house has a wonderful smell that is something I can never quite put my finger on… it reminds me of the smell of a library (also one of my favorite places!).  So on my trip there last week, I took lots of pictures of everything.  I hope and pray I will return there soon, but I also wanted to have a photo record for my own enjoyment. 

A word of explanation…I took a picture of the shark figurine because it’s something at my grandparents’ house that has always fascinated me and I didn’t want to forget it!  And the nearby water tower made the cut because my uncle played a critical role in Charlie Brown’s sudden appearance on the tank back in his high school years, and it made me smile.  The last picture is of the beautiful hills surrounding their house.  This view is taken from the cemetery the morning of the service.

While I was taking photographs of the house, I came across some old photos and paperwork that I wanted to capture.  Here’s a photo of the whole family at our last reunion in 2008, just a month before I went into early labor with the girls:

Here’s my dad as a high schooler receiving a swimming award (he’s on the far left):

Here’s a sample of my Dad’s writing as an elementary school student:

And here’s his adorable signature:

And a portrait of someone I’m assuming to be his mom, my grandmother:

Speaking of my grandmother, I came across some beautiful old pictures of her from her college days (in the group photo, she’s in the middle with the large circular button):

At the funeral, my dad’s cousin gave a brief genealogy of my granddad’s family, and I was really struck by how important family pictures and family stories are, which is part of the reason I’m recording these thoughts and photos here.  I want my children to know where they came from, and how much they are loved by so many wonderful people.  And even when people pass out of our lives, their influence remains.  And I think of my granddad’s wife, Mary, who is now such an important part of our family and our history, and I’m thankful that family is not determined by blood, but by love.  All these people and places make us who we are.