Family Roots

This weekend we traveled to Columbus to celebrate my Grandma Julie's 90th birthday.  While we waited for my grandma to arrive for her surprise I had a great time catching up with my cousins from Tennessee & California who drove/flew in for the occasion.

When my grandma finally arrived she looked truly stunned and was just as sweet as ever and gave everyone hugs and kisses.

Before we all ate we reflected on the journey my grandma made to bring her family to this country to make our family what it is today.  As the years have passed I've become increasingly aware and grateful of our roots.  I want my children to know how their relatives got here and where their roots started...so here is the story (or at least what I have been told of it over the years) for them to remember and pass down to the next generations.

Its starts with my grandma (at the head of the table below).  We are Ukrainian - I had always known this.  I also always knew that my dad was born in Germany and never knew why...that is until I finally asked one Christmas. 

I discovered that my grandma was moved to a work camp in Germany during the war (which is how my dad was born in Germany).  At some point her family and the Horbon family (my dad's godparents - also pictured below telling this particular story) decided to leave Germany.  My grandma headed for South America (Santiago, Chile to be precise) and the Horbon's headed to the United States. 

I am grateful that my dad made it through this journey.  A few times I have been told the story of the boat ride to South America.  It was crowded and my dad was still a baby.  The people around my grandma kept urging her to throw the baby overboard so she could have more room for herself but she refused to let her little baby go.  She really is an amazing woman!

After some number of years in South America my grandpa wrote to the Horbon's that they wanted to move up to America.  The Horbon's sponsored the whole family to come up to North America and are the reason our family is here today. 

It is amazing to think we are all here because of my wonderful grandma.  Here she is with her great-grandchildren and grandchildren (there are some of us missing because when you're spread out all over the country it is hard to get everyone together).

And here is a string of four generations of my family: my grandma, my dad, me, and my two boys.  During the party Chas said it was amazing how our family made it here - if just one thing had changed he said he wouldn't have me and wouldn't have our boys.  It really is remarkable when he put it like that...

It warmed my heart to watch Trey playing with his little cousins that he had only met once before when they were babies.  Chas said it was amazing cars can bring boys together.  Trey is still talking about how much fun he had playing with them and asking when he'll get to play with them again.

This weekend still brings a smile to my face to think of all the great times we had with family - it makes me look forward to our next get-together!