Happy Birthday to my Great Auntie Sharon

In August, my family and extended family gathered to celebrate my Great-Aunt Sharon’s birthday.  It was a huge success and minus two of my cousins and their family units, everyone was there.  Except my Grandma.  But I could feel her there with us, keeping the peace through a nice warm Summer breeze.  The party went just as I remember family gatherings as a child and teen.  The children ran around playing with each other, as everyone socialized and caught up on life’s events and challenges. There was some food, okay, there was a ton of scrumptious food dishes.  And there was my family.

Tyler & the kids on the ferry ride over to Whidbey Island.

Everything gearing up to the party was stressful.  The first challenge was getting a ton of people who generally avoid each other like the plague to all smile and be at the same place at the same time.  The second was to get those people to all agree to come. But blood is thicker than water and everyone showed. A whole other issue was to get people to actually RSVP and agree to bring something so we could have an estimated head count.  Of course that all couldn’t be stressful enough.  At the beginning of the Summer, my Great Aunt Sharon was diagnosed with cancer. 

 

The messages, texts and phone calls started to come in and people began to question if my great Aunt would be up for such a large gathering while under going chemotherapy.  People questioned who was coming and what drama could possible unfold.  But I continuously annoyed people by not budging and pushing forward with the party plans.  And when the pushing became too much, my cousin Erin spoke with her Grandma and told her about the party and asked her if we should cancel or reschedule for next year.  However, just as I suspected, she wanted us to go forward with our plans. 

It was a stressful time getting everything organized but I would do it all again in a heartbeat without any hesitation.  I did it for my Auntie Sharon but I also did because my Grandma told me to.  My Grandma Died on New Year’s Eve morning.  But the night before my Auntie Sharon & I stay with her and talked and shared stories and tears until 3am.  I can admit, I had never spent time with my great Aunt Sharon like that, one-on-one.  She has over 20 of her own grandchildren to worry about.  But the time spent with her reminded me of an old quote, "Don't Judge a person until you have walked a day in their shoes". 

My Grandma Rosalie & her sister Sharon as young girls.

 

 What a life My Grandma & Auntie have lived.  Young girls coming up during the Women"s rights movement in Bellingham and then both marrying young to Navy men.  Traveling the world, representing our nation, keeping a home and raising a family during a time where women took care of all the housework and cooking, a time where everyone smoked cigerettes and drank without a second thought.  Although the times have changed, their love for one another never missed a beat. 

I knew from previous conversations with my Grandma that her & my great Aunt missed the old family get togethers of the 80's & 90's before the passing of my Great Grandparents.  But the time I spent with my great Auntie at my Grandma's dying bedside told me that it needed to happen and ASAP.  As people get older they want to spend time with the people they love the most.  But it can be difficult to get everyone together for the holidays so a nice warm August afternoon was perfect.  

To see my Great Auntie's face light up as each family member arrived was worth it all.  Her health wasn't holding up well the day of the party.  It was a busy day, with my cousin Laurrin's bridal shower in the afternoon and then the birthday party in the evening.  But every time I talk to her or she talks to my cousin Erin she says "Thank You" all over again.  I would say that this year, her birthday party was the best day of the summer. 

 Bellow is the group picture I took that day.  I want to tank each & every family member for taking the time to come & lets all consider doing it again next year.  Because we are family & we all love her so much!!!!!  

My Grandma had three children. 

My Mom, My uncle Phil and my Aunt Nicole.

 

My Grandma's only sibling; my great Aunt Sharon had six children.  Jon, Dan, Kevin, Jody, Laurie and Michelle, not in that order.  Each of those six has two or three children of their own.  All of my cousins that are adults have children and the youngins are now in high school!!! So you can see how a family get together can take a lot of planning!!!

 

Above- the BIRTHDAY GIRL!!!!!!

 Laurie with her daughters Erin & Laurrin

Dan & his son Dain.

(Missing his daughter Jessica, her husband & 2 boys)

Kevin with his two children; Tyler & Cydnee Rose

Michelle with her son Cody & his family, Denise, Taryen & Trenton, and daughter Cara & her daughter Heidi. (Missing oldest son Chris & his wife Corrine & son Cole).

Jody with his three children- Diamond, Christen and Taylor.

Jon with his three children- James, Jesse and Michelle with her daughter Trinity. (missing Michelle's husband Travis and their two oldest children).