On the weekend of the 31st we had a wonderful family gathering to celebrate my Grandma and Grandpa’s birthdays. Grandpa turned eighty-eight (achtentachtig, the most phlegmy word in the dutch dictionary), and Grandma turned eighty-two (though she will tell you that she is twenty-eight). All of Grandpa and Grandma’s kids came, my Mom and her four siblings. There was also a good gathering of grandkids because my sisters and I came as did many of the kids of Dick and Marie-Ann with their kids. I counted five children, seven grandchildren (ten if you include the in-laws), and twelve great-grandchildren! And this isn’t even all of them! We enjoyed a simple dinner together of burgers and hotdogs and a potluck of salads. The adults socialized in the community lounge while the toddlers were passed from lap to lap and the kids played outside. I joined Rianne and Jayna for a while to draw chalk and blow bubbles. It is crazy to think that my grandparents are over three times my age… for some reason I can’t imagine living my life two more times over. What’s hard to believe is that all of the technologies that we are familiar with today were invented in their lifetime. I consider myself blessed to be able to get to know my grandparents and hear even just a few of their stories.
Life Section 
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