White Bones and Chocolate Pie

Family. What does that mean? There are so many different types of family. You could be talking about the people who live with you, your extended family, or even your family of close friends. My personal favorite is talking about my extended family, especially on my mother's side. My grandparents had five kids who, in turn, each had two or three kids of their own. That leaves me with one grandmother (my grandpa died), one great-aunt, eight aunts and uncles, ten cousins, four cousin-in-laws, two parents, two sisters, and even more second cousins of whom I usually forget their names. Talk about a full house!

Several times a year, mainly on holidays like Easter, Fourth of July, and Thanksgiving, we all get together at my Uncle David's house. He lives in South Georgia on a farm with 200 acres of land and a beautiful house with a swimming pool. Usually, about forty to fifty of my extended family shows up for about two to three days. We eat LOTS of food, swim, and play on the farm. On a typical day, we (my cousins, sisters, and I) swim for two hours, eat lunch about 12 O'clock, play a game or two of Jeopardy on the computer while we digest, then take the old Ford out for a spin in the fields. We like to call it a FIELD-trip. Get it. Ha! Anyways, we go out looking for cows, and we usually have either a scavenger hunt or some form of game. You wouldn't believe how many things we have found over the years: stripped-of-the-flesh cow bones, wild coyotes, giant turkeys, baby deer, and a cow in labor. The stories I could tell you.... Then we head back to the house for another feast my aunts and uncles have spent all afternoon preparing. After dinner, the adults come outside and watch the kids play a game of either kickball or basketball. Then comes dessert. Chocolate pie with homemade whipped cream. Need I say more? By the time I go to bed, I've had about thirteen hours of none stop fun. For me, it's heaven-on-earth.