really related

I've been debating about what sort of attention to draw to this new-found fact of family history. So, I concede to let you view a few pictures and tell me if you can see it. In photo #1, playing up in Uncle Laurie's hay mow, you may notice that Matt and Sara both have some sort of similar dis-"taste" for the camera. Laura knows how to look cute in the picture and I must have been going through my "cool" (ie. no smiles for the photographer) stage. The big bangs on us, three, girls looks pretty remarkably similar, but that could be just because we all used the same stylist: mom. And, Matt's cowlicks almost match Sara's pigtails. We could pass off at least as cousins, or something.

In photo #2, a first day of school, you'll notice that the three girls have a sort of plaid theme going on (this was the as close as our family probably got to "grunge" in the early 90's in Seattle). Matt, Laura, and I have learned to wear our shirts casually untucked. We're all working on that "Rip smile," though Laura is the only one daring enough to show her teeth (even though she's the only one to have braces at the time). And, I've got my latte in my hand (this is, effectively, what I blame for stunting my growth and leaving me the shortest of us three girls in the family). I guess we look like we could belong to the same family.

In photo #3, Sara's graduation only a year ago, it may be a bit easier to see the similarities in facial structure and it is apparent that we have the same smile; all of us. All my life people have been telling me I look like my mom or sisters. I frequently hear people say that you can tell our whole family belongs together. This new trivia(l) fact on our family could be the reason: These are not only my siblings, but also my 11th cousins.

Credit goes to dad for doing so much family genealogy that he finally found out we're all really related (10 generations back)! Hmmm...makes you wonder doesn't it? Actually, I think, despite the random extra relation, I ended up with a pretty great group to call my family!