A Family Gathering

In August, my sweet Aunt Janet passed away.  I was fortunate to be able to take the girls and travel with my mom and dad to Wisconsin for the funeral.  Most of the family was there and though we were gathered for a sad occasion, it was great to see everyone as I hadn't seen most of them in two years or more.

Travel Time
It is a long drive from Fredericksburg to Milwaukee, but it went really well.  Both girls are excellent travelers and mom and dad know the route well from their trips back there in the summer.  The girls watched movies, but also spent a lot of time just watching the passing scenery and reading.

It took a little while, but Anja and I finally worked out a way for
both of us to nap comfortably in the car.

Cousin Time
It was great to see our cousins, both young and old(er).

We stayed in the same hotel as our family from Minnesota,
so we got to spend lots of good time with them.

These kids have missed each other!

It may be hard to guess from this picture, but Elise
and her cousin Gavin (furthest to the right) are just 8 months
apart in age.

I hope I don't offend anyone by saying these are my favorite cousins.
Anyone who knows me probably already knows this :)

Most of the Torkelson cousins, just one branch of the family
tree not represented here.

These kids missed each other, too.

It is sad to know how much my aunt will be missed, and I'm glad I could be with my family to remember her and support them.  Losing people is hard.  Being together makes it easier.