Family togetherness

If you haven't figured it out by now, Mr. Incredible has an incredibly large family - extended family, that is. He has 4 great-aunts and 1 great-uncle on his mom's side and some great-relatives on his dad's side, which means that the girls not only have great-grandparents but also have several great-great-aunts and at least 1 great-great-uncle. (I don't know his dad's side of the family as well as I do his mom's relatives.) With that in mind, you can only surmise as to how many who-knows-how-far-removed relations he/they have. Having grown up in a family estranged and isolated from all other relatives, the first time I attended one of the family gatherings was rather a shock. Nowadays, I look forward to those gatherings. I truly do enjoy (most) of my husband's relatives. Believe me, there are plenty of chances to enjoy the family, too! There's Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas for starters. Then there is summertime when an attempt is made to gather the clan yet again. In past years, summertime gatherings have often been postponed in favor of week-long fall gatherings at rented beach cottages. What fun that has been! All the beds in the house are full and there are often sleeping bags spread on every bit of available floor space. The days are passed in carefree fashion with no particular attention being paid to the fleeting time. A great spot for these gatherings is the Outer Banks NC. I have enjoyed visiting the Wright Brothers National Memorial at Kill Devil Hills. Tracing the Wright's journey to flight has been an adventure that made the dull history books come to life. Nearby Jockey's Ridge is also a fun place to visit and watch the hang gliders floating from the top of the mountainous sand dune. There are quaint little shops for those who enjoy shopping (not me!), and there are miles of shoreline for walking. There is plenty of room for fishing and building sand castles, too. We hope to have the chance to explore the beautiful Outer Banks yet again this fall, but with my family this time. Here's to the memories yet to be made - may they be glorious with love and laughter.

photo courtesy of fotosearch.com