Mazbērni - then and now

The picture on the left was taken ten years ago in Chicago, an “on” year of Christmas with the extended family: my grandmother, her four children + spouses and her 12 grandchildren. Although often two or more families celebrate the holidays at my grandmother’s house, every other year everyone makes the trip – all the way from Toronto, Ontario and Seattle, Washington, and in more recent years from New York, DC, Quebec, France and now South Carolina. This Christmas we recreated the ten year old picture, the result being on the right.

This year was the first in many that everyone - every single child, grandchild and now great grandchild – was able to attend, bringing the total to 17 mazbērni, a term that in our case loosely includes vecmammas grandchildren, their spouses and children. A nice looking bunch, if I can say so myself! We only neglected to take the mazbērnu piramīds picture… a shame, really, as we have the perfect number for a pyramid for the first time since there were only twelve of us!

The best thing about being the oldest daughter of an eldest daughter is that my children are close in age to my youngest cousins – providing instant friends despite uncle & aunt status. Christmas passed in a blur, however, and I can only wish for a few extra weeks for them all to get to know one another. And hope that it’s before the next “on” year that we see them all again.

* Thanks to tante Zinta for the pictures from 2014! The one from 2004 was possibly taken by my father.

** It was probably not 2004, but 2005 judging by the age of the younger cousins. However this does not fit with my theory of it being an "on" year (even years) and I don't wish to wait until next year for this post (so I can say 'ten years ago') so 2004 it is!

*** Did that couch shrink!?!?