I am an only child. Which would make you think I'd avoid big family gatherings. But, in lieu of siblings, I grew up appreciating my extended family of aunts, uncles and cousins and thoroughly enjoy the concept of large extended family gatherings.
My husband comes from a small family. It's just him, his folks and his brother. While he is one up on me with the whole sibling thing, he didn't have access to cousins growing up because his parents emigrated from England and left their extended family behind them.
So strangely enough, even as an only child, I'm the one with the "big family" in our marriage.
Of course, as with siblings, extended family members grow up, get married and wander off to create new extended families of their own. Which means my "big family" has drifted away in many ways.
Which is why I'm lovin' the fact that from the day we got married, we've ensured my parents and the hubster's parents and brother join forces to create a new "big family" of our own.
With each brother having three kids, including a grown up child each who has a partner and children of their own, that family just keeps on getting bigger and bigger.
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| Fathers Day 2017 |
So that's what I'm lovin' about life this week. Extended family who enjoy spending time together and make it a priority to come together on the big days of the year.
Do you have big extended family gatherings?
What is your family dynamic?
Anyone else have a big Fathers Day celebration?
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It's Lovin' Life Linky time.
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I come from a large extended family who are mostly overseas. Time and change have brought us together in recent years. It's been a lovely thing to have such strong relationships with my cousins, aunts and uncles. The world has worked in mysterious ways to bring us all together.
ReplyDeleteSSG xxx
I'm eldest of 4. My Mum is one of 5, my Dad is one of 8. Our extended family is huge. Yet, we rarely see any of them - mainly because we grew up in country towns away from where they were. My brother & sisters have now got kids, so when the Lyons family gets together, there's a good number of us. Even with all of us in & around Sydney, we'd manage maybe once or twice a year. With us now in Qld, that will change.
ReplyDeleteThat's sweet - my side is small but my partner's is big - his xmas is 70 people!
ReplyDeleteI've never had extended family of any kind.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful family photo! I am the eldest of five kids and my hubby is the second youngest of five. We're both from big families. I have oodles of cousins and aunts and uncles. I love family get togethers very much and appreciate them more and more as I get older and realise how special they are. #TeamLovinLife
ReplyDeleteGreat post and loved getting to know more about you and yours. I am the elder of two and my Dad was one of 4 and Mum one of 3. We didn't get together with each side of the family at all except for my wedding. There are masses of cousins on Dad's side and none on Mum's as she was the only one to marry but once we left Wollongong there were few get-togethers except some Christmases. Upon marrying my hub I got 11 in-laws...he is one of 13 (i died) so he has (had) 3 sisters (one deceased in adult life) and 8 brothers. His parents were GOOOOOD catholics as they say and were both singletons too. In the 1970s when the kids of the kids (including our daughter and son) we had family gatherings at Christmas as everyone is all over NSW. In the 1990s we started putting on family days once a year but the family grew and grew away from each other so now the only connections are perhaps a few times a year by phone. It is HUGE family now and I have lost count of how many grandkids and great grandkids there are on my husband's side of the family who mostly all live in Sydney. We have, of course, our own little family unit too of 2 adult children who, between them have 4 children each and we are grandparents to 8. 6 girls aged 20 to 2 and 2 boys aged 16 to 9. Phew.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely group shot Leanne! Enjoyed reading about your extended family, we have extended family in Sydney and Italy and a blended family as both my husband and I have children from previous marriages - it can get a little complicated at times but that is the modern family isn't it?
ReplyDeleteHubster has a huge extended family - good Italian Catholics. However as most of them live in Stanthorpe we don't see much of them. Miss 20 came with us to a family funeral recently and was astonished to find she was actually part of such a big family (she was too little to remember them last time she saw most of them).
ReplyDeleteIt was just my brother and I in my family and he's only got the one child and I've got none, so my mum is a rarity amongst her friends as she just had the one grandchild.
ReplyDeleteShe however was one of six kids and my dad one of three. Mum's family all lived in western Qld though so we only saw my grandparents once a year or every second year. We spent more time with cousins on my dad's side and his sister and her husband (my aunt and uncle) live locally so I see them a bit which is nice given my own family is quite small.
Gorgeous family photo by the way!
I am the one with the large family in our marriage whilst my husband's side of the family consists of just his mum now a days.
ReplyDeleteIngrid
http://www.fabulousandfunlife.blogspot.com.au
I'm an only child too, but I don't have the big extended family!! Sometimes that's good, sometimes it's not....
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Jodie
www.jtouchofstyle.com
Christmas is the only time we really get together as extended family - I love that the cousins all enjoy each other's company and keep up with each other on FB etc. I just wish my kids lived closer to home so we could do the "family" thing more often but it is what it is.
ReplyDeleteWith both of my parents originally from scotland, my elder sister and I grew up without any extended family around. After some horrible family stuff,I no longer have contact with my parents and sister. The partners parents were originally from England, so most of his extended family are also oversea's. I have one sister in law that lives in a few hours drive away so we see her several times a year, but are in contact by ph often.
ReplyDeleteI have one brother, and he and his children are the only blood family I have left now. My husband is close to his cousins - and there are LOTS of them, which is just lovely. I really enjoy spending time with his family, as well as mine.
ReplyDeleteI'm lovin' the fact you embraced your extended family, and now are creating a new big family with your hubster's family. I'm from a very large extended family. It takes some effort and organisation for family members to get together. But it is so worth it. Best wishes for more family fun times Leanne :)
ReplyDeleteWhen we got engaged hubby said he would like a small wedding of about 25 guests. I replied, my family is 24 plus you is 25. LOL - we needed a new plan.
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