• entries
    131
  • comments
    383
  • views
    53,299

The Chapman Clan


lydiacevedo

714 views

Saturday was intended to be one of those days that was to do nothing. We ended up going out to see friends that afternoon. We had a good time, talkinmg and watching movies, and got back about 12:30. Neither of us stayed up any longer, and turned in for the night.

 

I was supposed to go to church on Sunday and to a Sunday School teacher's meeting, but I woke up with a horrible headache. I took 2 tylenol and went back to bed. Sam's mother called the house afound 1:45 and said she missed me at church. I explained why I hadn't gone. That was a good reason, according to her. The whole fan damly seems to be of teh mind that if Lydi has a headache, she should do nothing and stay in bed until it is gone.So, she asked if I was feeling better, and I was. The headache had resolved itself to just sinus pressure from all of teh pollen in the air.

 

Then she told us that Sam's cousin and his wife were 4coming into town and nwould arriving at his uncle's holuse in about an hour and a half. Did we want to go? This is one of the cousins that Sam only gets to see about once a year, so I wasn't going to disappoint him. We jumped in the shower, got dressed and met his parents at their hoouse, to drive to Sam's uncles with them.

 

Once Sam's cousin arrived, we wre all off to another one of his cousin's houses for a "family get together." Sam doesn't so much have a family as much as he has a clan. We walked into a literal house full of people. Thank God for teh rollator. People are less likely to come up and try to hug me when I am using that (so I use it pretty much anywhere I go, and especially at church). The afternoon was spent chatting, while children aged 4-12 ran through the house playing. At one point, while I was sitting with Sam's mother and his cousin, a few of the smaller ones came up and started asking questions about what that thing I walk with is and why do I walk with it. Sam's mother took it upon herself to answer all of their questions. Finally, the youngest little girl asked "why doesn't she talk?" Sam's mom told her "she talks, but you haveto talk to her first." All of the questions had been aimed at Denise or Mom from teh start. So, the little girl smiled and said "hi." I said "hi" back and she seemed satisfied. The group of them ran off to play some more.

 

At one point in the afternoon, I was feeling tired and had started to doze off on the sofa. No one bothered me and I found out later that they even asked the kids not to play in the family room because I was sleeping. I only napped for about an hour.

 

As the afternoon wore into the evening, there was a short debate about whether or not we wanted to wrap up the visit or go some place to eat. It was very soon decided that we would all troop, en mass to some place for dinner. Some one managed to find a place that could seet a party of 20 on very short notice and we were off....just as soon as the grop photos were taken.

 

Dinner was interesting. Sam's family has a bit of Jeff Foxworthy definition of "redneck" to it - a glorious lack of sophistication, blended with generations of Irish and Celtic blood. They are a very rauckas bunch when any group of them gets together, loud and laughing, with a "what-you-see-is-what-you-get" element to their personalities. They are kind to lift a pint to almost anything, and give yoou a hearty slap on the back at the smallest of jokes. They are a lot of fun to be with, but at the same time, they are exhausting! By the time we got home at 10:00, I was definitely done for the day and put myself to bed.

 

It was a good weekend, exhausting, but good.

2 Comments


Recommended Comments

Lydia:

 

I am glad you had fun filled weekend spent with family. when we go to India, its always so much fun to meet hubby's huge family. I enjoy & love them dearly.

 

Asha

Link to comment

Lydi, I think my Dad's family would have been like that too, Irish and hearty with it. I only met two of his brothers and one sister but I bet if ever all seven got together it would have been very noisy.

 

I went to a 21st birthday party and fell asleep one year when I had been ill with viral pneumonia. I woke up to find everyone had gone outside and lit a fire and left me alone in the house. I got teased about that for a while.

 

Nice to be part of a large, happy family.

 

Sue.

Link to comment
Guest
Add a comment...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.