FAMILY, UPDATED

Well, here's an updated picture, taken at the Big Party which was still in the future when I wrote the post below. I'm last on the right in the second row, above our nephew's right shoulder. The minuscule munchkin in front on the left is our granddaughter Abbie, who at 3 is older than she looks in the picture.

Here's the post what I wrote March 9:
The big Family Week starts today. Son Jon, his wife Jamie and 3-yr-old Abbie are flying in; tomorrow daughter Val and S.O. Anthony get here, as well as Steve's sister Carol and her husband Dan from Dallas; tomorrow afternoon everyone's going to a Cubs practice game; at some point Steve's sister Sandy and brother Mark are coming; also Sandy's daughter Rachel and her husband Brian, and son Derek and girlfriend Sarah. Saturday is the big surprise 80th BD party for Steve's dad. He knows there's a party and that Mark is coming, but Mark makes it out here on business every now and then, so that's not too odd, and it's rare to have more than one of the siblings in one place at the same time so it's not too suspicious to him that we're having a party, especially since they have many close friends among their RV park neighbors. It wouldn't even be too suspicious to learn that another sister Deborah is coming, since she lives just down in Tucson. In between all this we're taking him today and tomorrow up to the Mayo Clinic in Fountain Hills (north of Phoenix) for medical treatments. Steve and I are going to be making umpteen trips to the airport and up to Scottsdale where everyone is staying with his sister Michelle. Most of the out-of-towners will be flying back Sunday or Monday, but Jon, Jamie and Abbie are staying till Wednesday :-) Wish grandkids Collin and Gracie could make it (our grandkids, Dad's great-grandkids) and (our) daughter Avery and husband Scott. There are a couple more grand- and great-grandchildren who can't make it but most of his descendants will be there. This is going to be sooooo cool.

Yeah, big family. 6 kids plus spouses, 17 grandkids plus spouses/SO's, 5 great-grandkids, and most everyone is coming. It gets confusing who's a grandkid or great-grandkid because the generations start blurring... by the time it gets down to the youngest grandkids, some are the same age as the oldest great-grandkids. This confuses me, too.... nieces and nephews the same age as our grandchildren, others the same age as our children. Who's who here? I realized this when I was taking photos of niece Haley at her softball game, and a lady asked me, "Is that your daughter at shortstop?" and I said, "No, my granddaughter," and then thought and corrected myself, "No, she's my niece!!" It surprised me... she's the same age as grandson Collin.

I don't think I'm going to be online much....