Cousins

Keith and I were talking last night about the size of my family. My immediate family is quite small. My dad, my mom, my brother, my sister, me, my husband, my 3 kids and my grandmother. Those are the people that I consider my immediate family. Family gatherings are fun and focused 100% on my kids...it's all about making sure they have fun.

However, my extended family is quite large. There are 31 first cousins (1 is deceased and 1 will be born in May, 3 are not blood and therefore have not been with us since birth, but they are accepted just the same). I know every single one of them by name and can mostly tell you the order they were born. There was a baby boom and I think 4 or 5 of them were born within months of each other and I sometimes get those confused, but I'm pretty close. Me and my first cousins are now having kids. So, that makes those kids my 2nd cousins. And those kids and my kids would be 3rd cousins. That's how it works right? I am close, and my kids will be close, to those 2nd and 3rd cousins. Did I mention that this extended family is all on my mom's side of the family? I have no 1st cousins on my dad's side as me and my siblings were the only kids born on that side (which leads to extra spoiled great-grandkids).

So, let me briefly describe Christmas' with my extended family. My mom has 10 brothers and sisters. All are married. So that is 22 adults right there. Then there are the previously mentioned 31 first cousins (minus 2). 6 of us are married, and 2 have their almost husband's attend. Keeping up yet? That makes 59 people right there. Add the third generation of kids and that is 9 more people. 68 people. And counting. Our generation is still having kids and many aren't even married yet.

So right at this moment I have 68 people in my extended family. I know them all, I love them all, and while closer to some that others, I feel close to each and every one of them. I love my extended family. I love getting together with my extended family. I love being a "grown up" and being able to sit back and laugh at the simplemindedness of some of my aunts and uncles.

But most of all? Most of all I love the fact that my kids are going to grow up with this 68 and counting extended family and love and be loved by each and every one of them. I love that they are going to be close to their THIRD COUSINS, and possibly their fourth and fifths. I can't even name some of my third cousins. I'm not close to them, and the ones that I am close to number many already.

I don't always tolerate my extended family. I don't always agree with them either. But I love them. And I know them. And I'm glad that the closeness of family and a strong family unit is something that my kids will know. I can't imagine a Christmas Eve without 68 (and counting) people crammed into a 20 x 20 living room opening presents, running around, and being loud.

**edited to add the 1st cousin that is a cousin by marriage, but in our family, it doesn't matter. she's just like a blood cousin**
**edited again because there were 2 cousins by marriage that I forgot about, plus I didn't include my parents in the brother/sister adult count. math is not my forte :)**