Saturday, June 5, 2010

Sacramento, So Far

It's Saturday, Mac's graduation from Colfax High School. There are a couple of remarkable things about this. First is that Mackie is the baby of the eight of us "kids." When I pulled out the lunch my dad had made for him yesterday morning and set it on the counter, I cried. That was the last school lunch my dad will make, the last lunch in a line of 34 years of lunches. It looked little and lonely on the counter. I slipped a note inside of it.

The second thing that's crazy about Mac's graduation is that it wraps up a 21 year legacy of Englunds at CHS. We were student body presidents, site councilors, peer counselors, cheerleaders, soccer/football players, snowboarders. We took Spanish, drafting, photography, journalism.

At Mac's Honors Awards, his presenter delivered a tribute to our mom, and dad, and us.

It's a good, good family. We love each other so much. We love each other so much that in this 2,600 sq. ft. home, these five folks are all crammed into about four inches of space:








We love each other so much no one wants to go to bed here, in my dad's house, where we're all staying--eight siblings and husbands and girlfriends and daughters. The party goes on well into the morning hours. Then we get up at seven and someone plugs in Mr. Coffee. Halfway into our first cup, Steven's wise cracks are flying and the rest of us are rolling on the blue carpet in hysterics.

Which means it's time to go to the river:










And swim in some very cold water:



(Steven)









(Mac)







Then we get us some frozen yogurt and head back to Poppa Ken's, where we whip up a big art project in honor of our favorite holiday:








Can you guess which one is mine?

5 comments:

anjie said...

I LOVE your family - and I've only met a handful of them. Love that a tribute was paid to you all at graduation, and that you made an art project together. Please tell me yours is the skeleton in the bikini. (But I'm guessing it's the pirate. Aargh!) Teach me how to make those when you get home?

Big love,
Anj

Catherine Denton said...

How awesome that you guys are so close. I always thought a big family would be fun.
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Sharon K. Mayhew said...

Jennie...you and your family brought tears to my eyes. It was a lovely post. Best wishes to your brother and to your Dad...it's going to be hard on him with no more lunches to make. (Not joking, I can't imagine the day I don't make lunches for Katherine...It will be lonely even though I look forward to seeing what she is going to become.

Jennie Englund said...

Yes, Anj! We'll have Skeleton Day this summer, okay?

Mine is the pregnant reading one.

Hey, Catherine, there are two open spots in our family. Want a nomination?

Sharon, how old is Katherine/how many more lunches do you have?

prashant said...

always thought a big family would be fun.
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