The Torres Clan

Family Shot, taken at Thanksgiving, 2011



  This past weekend we went up to El-Dorado Hills, just east of Sacramento, to celebrate my cousin Sydney's high school graduation. Graduating high school is a huge milestone in one's life. To help Sydney celebrate this special occasion from childhood to adulthood, my other cousin, Dennis, his 11 year son Dennis & 7 year old daughter Leksy came up from San Diego (and there is Sydney's dad, Uncle Dennis!). And my grandmother Ruth and Uncle Wayne made their way from Georgia again (this time opting to fly instead of drive!) There were also family from her mom's side who came from South Dakota and Minnesota, who were so warm and welcoming. Family, heart or blood, is a sacred and cherished thing. This weekend it was confirmed once more how grateful I am to have found my bio family and how thankful I am to have such amazing relatives in my adopted family as well. I must have done something right in my past life! But back to this weekend! 


The Graduation Girl, Sydney.

My Uncle Dennis and his clan are from my bio-mother's side of the family, thus making Sydney and her sister, Liz my first cousins. Uncle Dennis is the youngest of all Grandma's children. Uncle Dennis and his wife, my aunt Leslie,  all moved up to Northern California from San Diego about a year before I made my way out West. Like the rest of his siblings, Uncle Dennis was raised in Key West (which was a magical place to grow up). When Grandma Ruth remarried (she was widowed with four young children), her new husband, Grandpa Ski, a Navy Man, was given orders to San Diego. That is how Uncle Dennis founded himself out in California.

I made sure I looked up the Torres Clan when I first arrived in California, in December 1999. I was still putting together some of the bigger missing pieces of my family history. My Uncle's Dennis & Wayne were two of those pieces. When I first met Uncle Dennis & Aunt Leslie, Sydney was just 5 years old then, getting ready for kindergarten. Liz was 12. Uncle D's other children, 'Baby' Dennis and Romani, from his first marriage, were still down in San Diego. It was a few years before I met Baby Dennis and his kids but now, with Facebook and the like, we are all able to keep in touch and stay connected much more easily. And when we get together the times together are sweet.

Amara and Havana just love being with their younger cousins. There are only a few younger ones on both sides of Don and I's family, so it's especially special when they get to play with family their close to their own age. Amara didn't leave Leksy's side! Havana tried to follow baby, baby Dennis around but he's eleven and wanted to hang out with the big guys! Still, she got to have some fun with him. But mostly the girls all hung out. They turned into prunes in the pool, played hide and seek and enjoyed Sydney's graduation cake with her, which turned all our tongues blue!

Amara & Leksy

It was such a treat for Don and I to be able to relax a bit as the girls were having so much fun they hardly noticed us. Made me wish we lived closer to family all the time!

This is one of those blog posts that reminds me why I am doing a blog. Not just to write about life with my girls but to help them remember these times as they get older and the memories fade. The photos and words can assist them in knowing a bit more of their childhood and where they come from.






Havana with her Great Grandma, Ruth.





Sydney & Havana

 


(L-R) Baby, Baby Dennis, his dad, Baby Dennis & Don





Ms. Leksy

                       



Liz with her blue tongue!



And Leksy, with hers!



Havana, Marshall, Amara,& Sydney.
Havana has a huge crush on Marshall,
who is Sydney's high school sweetheart!



Liz keeping her little cousin warm!

In the hot tub!

Don & the girls, having fun in the pool!

(L-R) Anjahni, Sydney, Uncle Wayne, Havana, Amara, Leksy & Liz.
Taken last Thanksgiving
(Grandma Ruth gave Ms. Amara a talking to this visit about sticking out her tongue!)