Familiar photo, unfamiliar reaction

Familiar photo, unfamiliar reaction

A while ago my dad let me scan some photos he had of his family from when he was young. The one I always go back to from 1936 has the most people, most of them old enough that I can easily tell who is who. I ran the picture through a colorizing service full well knowing it would be only a best guess at what colors went where. The result evoked a surprisingly strong reaction. I thought it would be appropriate to share since tomorrow would have been my grandparents' 107th wedding anniversary.

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Chicago Cousins Retreat, 17–20 May 2018

Chicago Cousins Retreat, 17–20 May 2018

My dad’s family started doing family reunions a while ago, and each time it’s great to see everyone. At the last one, I was talking with one of my cousins about having a get-together with the cousins, which would be a smaller group. We could plan a long weekend and recapture the bond the cousins have had since we were all younger. Everything came together and this past weekend seventeen of us gathered in Chicago, spending time together and reconnecting during our first Cousins Retreat.

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A full Saturday

A full Saturday

This past Sunday was mostly taken up with spending time with Kellen and Noël before their move to Germany. Saturday, though, was a whirlwind of activity for us. We left the house mid-morning, and didn't get back home until late at night. In between we went to a food festival, saw giant boots, took a café break, wandered through sculptures, dropped by to see how Kellen and Noël were doing with packing, had dinner, and went to a concert (complete with pre– and post–concert activities).

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Tschüß, Kellen and Noël

As time goes on, I realize how much I do things like my dad. Several times when we were staying over, we would wake up to him having breakfast ready to be cooked. Just so, this morning I had waffles and bacon ready to cook once Kellen and Noël wake up after a long, hard day; they finished clearing out their apartment yesterday and are hanging out here for a couple nights before moving to Germany.

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