taking the leap 

And so it begins. I've thought about doing this so many times. I can't even begin to say why its taken me so long. But here I am, finally ready to try to begin the tale. This is the story of my mama's incredible family tree and how I came to dig it up, without  even being aware of what I was doing. Its the story of three families: the one she was born to, the one that raised her, and, last but not least, the family she made.

Who can say where the beginning is? Certainly not I. So I'll just pick a spot, and  start with what I've known longest and best--the family she made. That's Mama, above, with her last 2 grandchildren, Nina and Miles, a/k/a The Twins, when they were brand new. They've been driving for almost a year now. She's been gone 5 years now, just last month. I'm pretty sure that their dad (my older brother) has told them some of this, but they have no idea about the whole thing. Of course, neither do I--it's still taking shape, even as I write this. Hopefully, someday, they'll pick it up wherever I end up leaving it off. So I'll dedicate this blog and her story to them, and her four other grand kids--Edwin, Chris, Drew, and Alex.♥