The best part of furnerals is the family reunion that happens. Lots of pictures were taken as cousins reunited. Dad's furneral was as much a time to celebratie as a time to mourn.
It was totally unplanned, but John and I ended up sitting by mom during the fureral and my children and their families filled in the row behind us. When I heard Ezra, Travis, and Lily singing the opening song together and turned to see the sharing the same hymn book I became a little teary.
We even got a pretty decent family picture taken by Leslie. It doesn't happen very often that everyone is in their Sunday best at the same time.
All the cousins that could come did, even though some of the spouses had to stay home. Colby and Seth were the only one who couldn't come. Seth just left for Germany and Colby had a new rotation he could leave.
I think mom looks so alone in these pictures even though she is surrounded by family and has been without dad for so long. It seems the death of a beloved spouse is even more lonelier than the mere separation of illness and dementia.
Girl picture: back row; Barbara Gustavesen, carol Van Wagoner, Julie, Ann, Melanie: front row: Susan Gustavesen, Suzanne, Aunt Maxine, mom, Jayne, me, Shelley: floor: Stacey.
I love this picture with the Scott and Julie Nevilles: left to right, Jayne, Julie, me, Scott, Roark, Brett, Stacey, Chris, Shelley, Suzanne, and Ann. We were very close as children even though we only saw each other once or twice a year. Julie was one of the rare individuals who was able to join Jayne and my twinship with no perceived slights for anyone.
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