Our Family Picnic to Celebrate Gran's Birthday

I have been somewhat remiss in posting to this site. We had our family birthday celebration at a park in our area - a barbeque complete with banner (pictures will be added to the site.) It included my brother and his family and my family. Fortunately it was a lovely day.

I arrived first to be sure to get the area (unfortunately some distance from where I had to park my car). We had two barbeques, two large picnic tables, blankets, chairs and a friend made us a family banner that will be very useful for future events. I did a photo album which included as many pictures as I could find of mom and my dad from their young years and throughout their lives. Many of these pictures have not been seen by most of the family because I gathered them together from my mother's things. The album was a success. A geneological friend of my mother's had also made up a family tree (which I had laminated) going back to the 1700's. That was a success also.

Because we are a family growing large, a park is an ideal place to have a family get together. Beginning with my father arriving from Germany in the early 1930's and my mother (an only child with her only relatives in Scotland, with the exception of her parents), we now number 55, including grandchildren and spouses. Unfortunately, one brother and his family were unable to make it. But there is always another year.

I had games for the grandchildren, with prizes but they seemed to prefer to play in the mounds of earth left, supposedly, by moles. It was hard to have races with the differences in ages but we did anyway. It seemed to be enjoyed by everyone.

A Family Get-together to Honour Our Loved Ones

This is the first of, I hope, many blogs which will not only give my feelings about our lost loved ones - not only of Gran (Lilias Behnish who recently passed on June 4, 2011 but also of our dearly loved father and grandfather who left our family much too early, more than thirty-five years ago.)

A decision was made to hold an annual birthday party in honor of our mother and grandmother, Lilias Behnish. She enjoyed her birthdays almost more than any child so it is a fitting time to honour and remember her. However on further thought, I think it would be a good idea to include my father, Max Behnish, when we are honouring and remembering those we love. He was a man to be looked up to and certainly an excellent role model for all of us. I could not have had a better father than he was.

For our first get-together as an entire family, we will go to a park (hopefully the weather will co-operate). We haven't quite decided on the park yet, but the date has been made for August 28th. We'll have games and races for the children and some games for those adults who are into it. I also hope to have a Memory Table with pictures,a limited family tree poster (almost a must for a geneologist like Gran) and a guest book. And then hopefully there will be a scrapbook for follow-up which can be added to each year.

As plans progress I will add to the blog to keep everyone apprised of the get-together.