Our Family Has Grown

Song - Family Tradition by Hank Williams Jr.

Some chapeau huh?  

I have been working on my family tree since I was a teenager and would record my Italian grandparents stories and share family photos.  It is something I have always been fascinated by.  It is kind of like putting together a puzzle and making sure everything fits.

Since September 17th, I have an even larger family thanks to Andy & Ashley's wedding!

The woman in the photo above is named Amy Wilson Ross 

and she is Ashley's second Great-Grandmother. 

Isn't she a beauty?

This is her husband, George Clark Matson -

Ashley's second Great-Grandfather.

Above is a "selfie" taken in the 1870's. Such a handsome couple.

Then they had children.....

and her sister moved in....

Mama is looking pretty good still but dad is losing his spark.

They had 3 more children after this was taken.

Just imagine that photo!

A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots. Marcus Garvey
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/roots.html

"A people without the knowledge of their past history, 

origin and culture is like a tree without roots." 

--Marcus Garvey

A Mom's Hug

 Song - Everybody Loves Somebody Sometimes by Dean Martin (Mom's favorite - after dad!)

When I think

of all 

that my mom has done 

for me, 

my brothers, 

our spouses, 

all of our children 

and now for her great-grandchildren....

Why am I not surprised 

that rarely does she not have 

a child in her lap......

or two or three....

and sometimes a dog 

or two 

thrown in? 

Much to my dad's chagrin, rarely does the word "no" come to her lips.  She has a huge heart and shares it with all.

No matter how big or small!

She was born into an Italian family and she is almost always in the garden or in the kitchen cooking.  She is never happy unless she can feed you or load up a bag with goodies to take home. 

Trust me, she can still cook AND direct a house full of people -  all while doling out love to the little ones.

I wonder if she realized when she first met my dad, that her world would be so full of love?

Thanks for being you MOM!!  Happy Mother's Day.....

Mom & Me

PS - I think this tag was made for mom.

"Mother, the ribbons of your love are woven around my heart."  ~Author Unknown

"A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie." -Tenneva Jordan

 "A mom's hug lasts long after she lets go."  ~Author Unknown

Family Ties

Great Grandma Mary, all twelve cousins and Grandma Sophie at Lake Tahoe

There is

nothing

like

a big

Italian Family!

We celebrate together

and

share difficult times

together.

We vacationed together

at Lake Tahoe

and

sat in our parent's backyards

together.

Laughing, crying,

talking, sharing,

and sometimes

getting into trouble

together.

Twelve cousins,

from four

sisters.

Three each.

Our Grandpa Arturo

was the

head of this big family

but it was

Grandma Sophie

who brought us all 

together

through her

cooking, (always cooking!)

stories, smiles, hugs

and

love.....

Times were tough

and

money was tight

but boy did we

enjoy the

simple

pleasures

in life

TOGETHER !

The art of being happy lies in the power of extracting happiness from common things.

~ Henry Ward Beecher