Aunts and Uncles and Nieces and Nephews and Cousins . . .

. . . and what happens when you give the camera to the kids.

The night before Dad died -- when we still had our innocence, as Jacquie says -- those of us who were in town went to an outdoor seafood place in Norwalk to celebrate: it was a beautiful summer night, we had just visited Dad in the the hospital, and we thought he was going to be a-okay.

We were a group of 11, distributed in several cars, including Uncle Bill and Mark Dowd in the Westy with lots of the younger generation.

Apparently, the camera got passed around the back of that Westy. And, apparently, hilarity ensued.

I love photos that kids take of other kids. They're always weirdly centered and full of life and of interesting perspectives I'd never think of including.

Plus, the Westy is a great photo studio.

I think it was only a 10-minute ride, but just check out what these children . . .

. . . including this child . . .

. . . got from eachother:

Oh dear.

Finally, the troops arrived at their destination.

Really, I do have some rockin' nieces and nephews. And these are only 2/3 of them. Five out of eight. Two families out of three . . .

We missed those Chicagoans that night . . .

The next couple of days -- the next day -- was so hard and so awful and so final and so surreal, but Thursday night was really fun. And really great and really fabulous.

But man, how we missed Jane and Doug and their kids and Ann and Mr. Can.

And Mom.

And Dad.