What can I say...

...this is my family.


On Sunday, we held our first (in a LONG time) Hanash family reunion.


Quick review: my dad is one of 13... 41 cousins and a bagillion grandkids.


About 120 family members turned out.


That still only turned out to be about 2/3rds of my family.


Oh, and by the way- that's only counting aunts, uncles, cousins (and their spouses and kids).
No crazy twice removed third cousins here friends.


 In the photo (which, of course, being an IV staffworker, I organized) we had most my aunts and uncles sitting down... the kids behind them are my cousins (and me) and the kids on the ground are the grandkids!


I can't wait to print and frame this photo! Worth the pain it was to coral this many people... it was like 45 min of herding cats! It was surprisingly fun to see everyone. Most my Lebanese family lives in Vegas, except one cousin living in Lebanon, another in Australia, two more in San Diego, and my aunt and uncle in Texas. Even so, sadly, the older we've gotten the harder it is to see each other.


It used to be the summer wedding celebrations that kept us connected. Lately in the last few years it's also been the funerals too. Just as I was leaving my cousin Danny, whose idea it was to have the impromptu reunion, said he'd like it to be a yearly tradition.


We shall see... but i kind of hope so.