Last Saturday, my Uncle Frank and Aunt Gloria hosted a lunch which served as a reunion for the Martin family. The Martin family is my Mom's side and originates from my great grandparents, whose oldest daughter is my beloved and aforementioned Grandma Womble. My Grandma had 3 siblings, all brothers, and they would be my Great Uncles Archie, George, and Alvah Jr. I never knew my Uncle Alvah because sadly he passed away at a fairly young age, but I was fortunate enough to get to know his wife, my aunt Essie for many years before her passing just a few years ago. I have also enjoyed being watched over and doted upon through the years by Alvah's daughters Brenda and Lynn who are my Mom's first cousins. Lynn and Brenda's children including my cousin Cindy, have also been wonderful to Matthew and I. I was able to get to know for many years my Uncle Archie and his wife my Aunt Geraldine. Archie was a quiet man with a great sense of humor and Geraldine was so nice and sweet to me whenever we got to see them. (On a personal note, my Aunt Geraldine was the first person I ever knew in my life to succumb to cancer. The weekend she passed I was scheduled to go hike the Appalachian Trail with the Boy Scouts. Well, I was ready to cancel and attend her funeral when someone (I can't remember but I believe it may have been my Mom) said that Aunt Geraldine would not at all want me to miss such a great opportunity like hiking the Appalachian Trail. So I went on the trip and missed her funeral. However, I remember one morning on the trail, stopping as one of my fellow scouts led us in prayer for Aunt Geraldine, and the sun burst through the tree cover and shined on my face, It is one of those moments I remember vividly and will never forget, because I know it was her smiling down on me and letting me know that I was experiencing the world like few will ever get to, and to tell me that she was just fine.) I am eternally blessed that i actually have a great relationship with all of my family members and Archie and I got along real well. As with other family members I have fond memories of being with his son Jerry and his family and daughter Jean and her family (since I can't remember everyone's names I won't try and put just some of them down here). My Uncle George and his wife Aunt Ruth are still alive, although like my Grandma, age has taken some of George's faculties and has slowed Ruth a bit, but apparently not by much. George and Ruth are such fun people and I always had a blast when I saw them. They traveled a lot in retirement and had some of the best stories. I am embarrassed that I can't remember their son's name (I think it's Mike), but I will say I went up in an airplane with Mike and his girlfriend one year at the beach when I was little. The pilot let me briefly take the controls and at a Mike's strong urging I promptly flipped the plane upside down much to his joy and his girlfriend's fervent dismay. George and Ruth's daughter Dottie has been close to us for as long as I can remember and I enjoy seeing her and her family when we get together.
Then of course there is my Grandma, Mom, Uncle Frank, and Uncle Wayne. Simply the best family a boy could have. I love you guys.
Wow, that just came spilling out into a rather lengthy post. Well, here is a slew of pictures from our fun event Saturday and thanks again to Uncle Frank and Aunt Gloria for pulling it together. Forgive me for not labeling the pictures, but enjoy!
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