Home, Home on the Range: December 2007

I can recall when I was young, often going to the "Adriance family" Christmas parties. Adriance is my Mom's maiden name, and while she was Mrs. Douglas (my maiden name) for some 14 years (but only 5 of mine), and she was Mrs. McLaren for a few years, between marriages she was Anne Adriance, and hence for the much greater percentage of MY life (Well, and hers too), she was Anne Adriance.
Mary Anne and Leigh, the two Adriances I saw the most of when growing up, were always referred to as my cousins, but since they weren't the offspring of an imediate aunt or uncle I was never certain what route the lineage followed.
Some how, perhaps because of her health, or perhaps because her kids grew up and no longer attended, Mom dropped out of the large family gatherings. My own communications with the Adriances, after moving away from home, became limited to Christmas cards, and I'm ashamed to say that even that was irregular on my part.
When Mom passed away in October of 2003 I contacted Leigh to let her know, and, come Christmas, Leigh was sweet enough to invite Don and I to her family Christmas party.
It was even more elaborate and populated than I'd remembered. Leigh now had teenage grandchildren that I was meeting for the first time. Leigh's brothers, Peter and Francis had children I'd never met--or had forgotten if I had met them.
It's been just a little over three years since that party. I'd slacked off on Christmas cards pretty much until this year (I don't think I'd even updated anyone on the address we moved to in late 2004.), so getting cards made and sent out felt like a major accomplishment.
Soon after I got them sent, I received a Christmas card that included an invitation for Don and I to attend the Adriance Christmas party, now held in Santa Ana, at Leigh's son's and daughter-in-law's. Jeff and Isabelle had been living in Colorado in 2003, so they were not at that last party we'd been to, and I had not seen Jeff in many years. In fact, I had never met his wife, Isabelle, to whom he's been married for 16 years---and he had never met Don, so that gives an idea of how long it'd been since I'd seen him.
I say all this by way of excusing myself for initially confusing the identities of the two Jeffs. I do believe I'd met the tall Jeff (I think he was said to be Peter's son) at the 2003 Christmas party. But I confess when I first encountered him and he said he was Jeff, it'd been so long since I'd seen Leigh's Jeff that I was willing to believe that's who he was. So when Leigh's Jeff appeared soon after, looking so much more like the Jeff I remembered, I felt pretty rediculous.
It was fabulous to see everyone, and, thanks to Leigh, I FINALLY got the family connections straight. Leigh, Mary Anne, Francis (Franny), and Peter (Pete) were all Mom's first cousins (making me their first cousin, once removed). Mom's dad and their dad were brothers. Part of why this always escaped me was that I never met either brother. Their father died before I was born, and Mom's Dad lived in Massachusetts and died when I was quite young. Their mother, Helen (now also having passed away), remarried--so to me their father was Jim (also passed), who was actually their step-father.
OK, now that you've got some background, meet the family, and I'll show you a little of Jeff and Isabelle's house--I hope you love their creative decor and gardens as much as Don and I did. . . .

I don't know everyone, but will try to identify those I do. . .

Welcome to Jeff and Isabelle Farrier's Santa Ana house.

Meet Leigh (left) and Mary Anne. (Back patio)

Leigh and Tom (I think Leigh said Tom is related to her late step-father, Jim. (Back patio)

Shawn (Leigh's daughter--my second cousin), Loraine, and I'm afraid I don't know (or maybe just don't remember) the lady on the right. (Living room)

Same folks, same place.

Jeff (Farrier---party host, home owner, my second cousin), Jeff (Adriance), Franny, Santino (the young fellow on the right), and the tall fellow in black on the right I'm afraid I don't know (or maybe just don't remember).

Brody (baby--not sure that's his name), Isabelle (Farrier), and Pillar (Sp?--Peter's girlfriend) (Back patio)

Pillar, Julie (? not sure of her name, but pretty sure she is Brody's Mom) Isabelle. I don't know either of the young folks on the love seat--I think the young man may be a son of Franny's. (Back patio)

I might have heard someone call the gentleman on the right, Charlie...or I might not have. Either way, I think he is with the lady, Ellen (?) just inside the door on the left, chatting with Tom. Ellen (again, if that is her name) is related to the group through Helen, Leigh's late Mom. (Back patio)

Peter, Pillar, Franny, Charlie (sorry if names are wrong or miss-spelled) and Blue (dog).

Peter, Pillar, Franny.

(Sorry, 'don't know the pretty blond photographer, might be Shawn's daughter Charlie--one of the two pretty young blonds is.)

Peter and Franny

Ellen (?) (Another part of the back yard. The tiles stacked on the right will be the roof of a an indoor garden room, I think Isabelle said.)

Peter, Jeff, Franny

Pillar, Peter, Jeff, Franny, Blue

Well, the only ones I know for sure are Shawn (far right--Leigh's daughter), and Blue (dog). I think the pretty lady holding the baby is Shawn's daughter, and the young man in burgundy to her right is the baby's father.