Chan Ties the Knot

Chandra and Joe got married in New York on October 8, when Chan went to go help Annette when she had her baby. Chandra wanted to get married some place that was really pretty, and Syracuse has an abundance of beautiful places, like Onondaga Park. It rained all morning, but fortunately it stopped a little while before the ceremony was supposed to begin.

I'll let the pictures do most of the talking:

I like the two pictures of Christian below. His tired, little face says, "Are we done yet?!" :)

Our sister, Annette, who was just days away from having her baby, went to the ceremony to be a witness and to help take care of Christian while Chandra and Joe were posing for the photographer.

I'm glad Chandra and Joe finally tied the knot. I'm now the "old maid" of my family, since all of my other sisters are all married. If there has to be a single sister in the bunch, then I'm glad it's me, and not one of the other ones.

Here's to wishing Chandra and Joe many, many years of happiness.

xoxo

"My Grandfather Would Have Shot Me"

I recently heard about a book that piqued my interest. It was called: My Grandfather Would Have Shot Me: A Black Woman Discovers Her Family's Nazi Past by Jennifer Teege, and it's a true story (my favorite!). Here is a synopsis of the book:

An international bestseller—the extraordinary memoir of a German-Nigerian woman who learns that her grandfather was the brutal Nazi commandant depicted in Schindler’s List.

“I am the granddaughter of Amon Goeth, who shot hundreds of people—and for being black, he would have shot me, too.” In an instant, Jennifer Teege’s life turns upside down; the shock of discovering her ancestry shatters her sense of self.

Teege is 38—married, with two small children—when by chance she finds a library book about her grandfather, Amon Goeth. Millions of people worldwide know of him through Ralph Fiennes’ chilling portrayal in Steven Spielberg’s film Schindler’s List. Goeth was the brutal commandant of the Plaszów concentration camp—Oskar Schindler’s drinking buddy, and yet his adversary. Responsible for the deaths of thousands, Amon Goeth was hanged in 1946.

Goeth’s partner Ruth, Teege’s much-loved grandmother, committed suicide in 1983. Teege is their daughter’s daughter; her father is Nigerian. Raised by foster parents, she grew up with no knowledge of the family secret. Now, it unsettles her profoundly. What can she say to her Jewish friends, or to her own children? Who is she—truly?

I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick read, since it wasn't very long. It was so interesting to read about how this woman inadvertently stumbled upon a book while at the library, and it changed everything she thought she knew about her family history. I definitely recommend this book if you like true stories and history.

25

For years I've been thinking how great it would be if my mom could reach at least 25 grandchildren. I found out earlier this year that this desire would be a reality when my sister, Annette, told me that she was pregnant. Yay! Another grandchild for my mom, and another niece for me. :)

My sister, Chandra, flew to New York to help Annette out when she had her baby, since Annette didn't have anyone to help her with her kids. Chan to the rescue! She and Annette had a lot of fun together. Here are some of the highlights...

They went apple picking together:

Annette took Chandra to see some of the LDS church's historic sites in Palmyra, NY:

Chandra held down the fort at Annette's house and took care of her four kids while she was busy having her baby. Annette's baby arrived via C-section on Wednesday, October 12, at 11:47 AM. She had a little girl that she named Eden Elizabeth (Edie). She was my sister's biggest baby, weighing in at 6 lbs. 5 oz., and she was 19 inches long.

Here are some pictures from when Chandra and Annette's kids went to the hospital to meet the new baby:

Christian had so much fun with Annette's twins, Lincoln and Annika. Christian loved having playmates that were his size. Chandra said that Annika especially took to Christian. The three little ones loved watching the big kids leave for school in the morning, and were excited to see them come home in the afternoons. 

Annette came home from the hospital two days after she had her baby. There's no place like home! The hospital gave Annette this peas in a pod toy. Joseph put Edie inside of it, and Chan snapped a picture.

Here's Christian taking a closer look at his little cousin:

I'm so grateful to have another sweet niece, and I look forward to meeting her some time next year!