We enjoyed the 10th AUCSCAOR this past weekend. I feel a little funny writing about this as I am one of the in-laws...but that's the thing, I have always felt that this was my family, not just my husband's. That is just how this family is. I knew it from the first time I met them. I wanted to be a part. They welcomed me from the beginning, just as their heritage would support.
So, AUCSCAOR stands for "Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Second Cousins, And Other Relatives (that would be me, an "OR". This tradition was started many years ago by the Mabe sisters, 8 in all, one of whom was Stan's grandmother, Martha Mabe Cole.
I had a chance to sit down and start reading through the biographies that this family pulled together so eloquently. Wow. I knew Ma Cole (Martha) and had met several of her sisters. It was just amazing to read all that they had been through, especially as it related to their amazing generosity, tenderness, faithfulness to the Lord and grace that was just unmistakable if you were blessed to be in any of their presence. Hard stuff made them even stronger, more faithful and more thankful. Good stuff.
It was also amazing to see how their influence affected my father in law, L.D., and the way he lived his life. And...as an in-law, I also noted how influential the whole Mabe clan was on my mother-in-law. And...of course, those special traits were passed down to my husband and sister and law and now my children and nephew.
It is a lot to soak in. A bit overwhelming, playing catch up on all of these awesome people's lives. The truth is, though, that all of the Mabe sisters can be felt and seen in each of their family members that I have come to know and love.
The thread that has held this family together, has been faith in the Lord. Times have not been easy for this sweet family, since their life began as a family. Their mother died at age 40 when the youngest sister was born. This left 9 children without a mother, who, apparently, knew she would not live through this last childbirth. She made clothes for each of her children to wear to her funeral while she was pregnant. I cannot imagine. We never do have answers for such tragedies, but seeing the faith, strength and fortitude which which each Mabe sister lived by, I feel I can see a glimpse of God's divine purpose. Seeing the generations of family this weekend where the thread of deep faith in God has been weaved, would make any one take pause and look to the heavens, saying, "Have thine own way, Lord, Have thine own way."
The other thing I have to say is that this family is really not a family that has "in-laws" and I think all other "ORs" would agree. Seeing the biographies about the husbands of the Mabe sisters and the testimonies of the wives and husbands of the cousins and second cousins shows the true spirit and unbreakable thread that is woven throughout every single family member. What a blessed heritage my children have. What a blessed family I have.
Now, I will share some of the sweet memories we shared...
Norah and Lindsay Jane are 3rd cousins (or something like that) and they hit it off instantly. Two little cuties, laughing, playing, charming, cuddling, loving...
Being goofy too...
I could not get them to hold still for a picture and this was the first night! It was such a sweet thing to witness how they connected and by the end were saying things like, "Norah is my best cousin."
And, another little girl for Lindsay Jane to bond with. Sweet little Iris! Lindsay Jane followed her around like a little puppy dog. As you can see, both girls are showing off their puppy dogs in this picture. Iris, 4, was such a sweet little friend for Lindsay Jane, also a "3rd cousin".
Connor hit the sweets and snack table hard. He had a Diet Caffeine Free Coke as soon as I could catch my breath. I am not a fan of sodas of any variety for my kids...so, I persuaded him to the ever fizzy soda water...seems like he was a fan?
Connor also learned a little chess with one of his other "3rd cousins". He was so intent on the game, my little thinker...
Iris, Andrew, Lindsay Jane and Norah putting that luggage rack to great use...
I so loved seeing this gal! Stan's first cousin, Ryan's wife, a nurse, a friend and another "OR" I can really connect with! Michele has always been special and it was so nice to be able to talk with her and hang out.
Me, Michele, Angela and Gina. Treasures, these girls. Gina is Stan's cousin. They grew up climbing trees together. Angela is married to Gina's brother, Josh. These ladies, along with Michele are just what my dad would call, "the salt of the earth". I always love talking to them all about life, marriage, kids, school and how faith weaves through it all. Awesome ladies.
Here is a picture of Gina's dad, JC. He reminds me so much of LD and I couldn't help but think of him every time I saw JC. LD was at the last AUCSCAOR 6 years ago. In this picture, JC was looking at all of the pictures and reading the biographies of those who have reached their heavenly home. LD was included in this group with an awesome tribute that Anna wrote. Life without LD has just been hard in so many ways. I know that he is celebrating in heaven with all of his aunts, his mom and his dad, but we sure do miss him here. Much like those who went before him, his death was just untimely. I hate that my kids didn't really get to know him, but, that is another reason why I love this family. My kids are getting to know him through his brother and sisters and his cousins. They are also learning about the importance of keeping record of and honoring family members and their lives as we grow older.
A little golf action from LJ and Cole. We had to keep the two year olds occupied somehow. Good thing Anna and Brandon brought golf clubs. And, good thing Cole was willing to share with his cousin!
Scavenger Hunt, lead by Donald! What an awesome job he did! The teams were divided, boys versus girls...
Cole took a break on mama's lap to rest while Donald explained all the rules...
JC looked at the presentation of one of the findings...peering as he judged whether or not this object should be counted...
These three were really serious on their deliberation...
Landon, the team leader for the boys, looking at Ann for the final verdict...the girls won, but only because they got their hunt done 30 seconds before the boys. I believe the final score was 20 versus 20. Landon was bummed, my competitive one, but Donald made sure all kids got a prize...one of those yummy caramel candies with white cream in the middle. Remember?
Cole and LJ being two again...all they need is a cardboard box and some AUCSCAOR X pencils...
Oh, and maybe a brick fire place?
Lindsay Jane and sweet little Andrew. You can see my daughter is quite the extrovert, socialite...she bonded with little Andrew too.
Especially over the beloved snack table. I could not keep up with all the snacks my kids were eating. Rice crispie treats, chips, cookies, twinkies, moonpies, oreos, homemade cookies, popcorn, oh yeah, there was some fruit...they they did not grab for! I think everyone missed the snack table when we got home, especially my kids!
Sweet sweet moment with JC and little Norah. This is what really makes me miss LD.
This is how I spent a lot of my weekend- hanging with LJ. Here she was playing with moonsand, one of her new favorites. We never figured out who brought the moonsand (thank you to whoever did) but it was a huge hit with all the kids and will be on LJ's birthday wish list this year!
Boys ages 8-99 can play basketball at AUCSCAOR!!
And if you are 5, you can roll down the hill while the older boys play basketball. You can also giggle the whole way down.
Oh my how I love this picture! Lindsay Jane and her aunt Moo. I think we can see where LJ gets her good looks!
Pool time! Connor playing with his little octopus. :)
Landon stopping for a quick acknowledgement of dear old mama...
Super Connor!
And, yes, my little angel, at 2 years old, jumped off the diving board for the first time!!!!! She was so excited and such a sweet little trooper! I loved seeing her jump into my arms. What trust. Very humbling.
And croquet, an AUCSCAOR tradition. Here Alan is teaching little Micah the ropes...
JC teaching Charlie...
JC and Alan. No telling what these two were talking about in this picture. LD would have been right there with them, making trouble, no doubt...
Croquet takes a lot of careful concentration...
Whether you are 6 or Alan's age...a young young man!
Sweet Anne, Gina's oldest, sitting and watching all those rascals play croquet. She was smart to sit it out...
Lindsay Jane was napping during the croquet match and woke just in time to change Norah's baby's diaper. Whew, that was a close one...
Landon could most often be found here, with the other young fellas, in a friendly game of Foosball!
And...our lovely talent show host...Kay Cole! As the 4H seasoned veteran, she can really make a talent show happen...and did she ever! :)
The girls put on a Frozen skit about "girl power". It was way cute.
Wrinkles joined us for some comic relief. No AUCSCAOR is complete without Wrinkles...
Michelle, Ryan, Ross, Shannon, Sue and Alan put on the skit "Oh No" where Ross caught ever ailment that the other patients came in the waiting room of a doctor's office with. As he slowly caught them all, Sue walked in with a pillow up her shirt indicating that she was expecting and Ross ran screaming "Oh No" out of the room. Ross was quite the Actor. It was hilarious. He even convinced his girlfriend, Shannon, to join in. That young lady is a trooper, diving right in and participating in an AUCSCAOR talent show! But...that is just another indication of how welcoming this family is. And, how great Shannon is. :) Wink Wink, Ross.
Landon put together one side of a Rubic's cube and his daddy finished it out for him. It was super cute.
Cole was way more interested in the balloons than any other part of the Talent Show. Is he not a doll?
The tweens got little brother involved in some stand up comedy. :)
Anne played a beautiful hymn on the piano. Such a sweet sweet spirit.
And...another hilarious skit, led by Kay. All the kids sitting held up a letter to spell RESPECT. The adults all sang into brushes R-E-S-P-E-C-T, complete with socks for the "sock it to me" part, where the kids "socked it to" their parents.
Kay in her glory...
Lindsay Jane, just not sure...
Landon, holding the E, not sure. At all.
And, no AUCSCAOR is complete without Casey at the Bat by JC. This year, he had the little ones do some acting out. It was precious.
We closed out Saturday night and Stan and Anna stayed up talking and reading all of the biographies. It was a great time of connecting for the two of them and I am glad they had that opportunity.
Sunday morning was our devotional time. It was amazing. So many wonderful memories and Scripture verses were shared. The Spirit was definitely present in that room as we came together in Christ, singing, sharing, praying, remembering and loving. It was a truly blessed time.
And, our Sunday morning photo session! Three little amigos... "3rd Cousins"
The whole group!
The Martha Mabe Cole Family
The Edna Mabe Cline Family
The Eloise Mabe Hanks Family
The Maggie Mabe Hill Family
The Bertie Mabe St. John Crew.
The original Cousins!
The Second Cousins...
The "3rd generation Cousins"
And all of us "Other Relatives"
What a wonderful wonderful time for our whole family. I loved watching my kids get to know and experience a very unique family bond that is their heritage. We did form our own family bond too, all 5 of us sleeping in one room for the first time. :)
Thank you to all of the Mabe family for just being so incredibly wonderful. I am so honored to be a part of such an amazing family. Thanks be to God for this gift in my life and the lives of my children. And thank you all for the example you have set for Stan, making him the very special man I married. We wouldn't be who we are without you all! Much love!
Please forgive any mistakes (and I am happy for you to correct me!). I am trying my best to piece everything together to get a better understanding of the whole family tree for my kids. :)
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