January Birthday Celebrations - Part 2, Brittany

Our second birthday celebration in January had us back on the train once again on our way to Brittany where the extended family gathered for a weekend in honor of Milo's great grandma Marie-Thérèse, or Maïé as all her grandchildren call her, on the occasion of her 80th birthday.

The view as we arrive at Perrine's home town of Le Relecq Kerhuon just outside Brest.

Our first day we spent getting our bearings reset, rediscovering maminou (grandma) Françoise's house and catching up with Perrine's sister tata (auntie) Lucie, who like much of the family had come to town for the big event.

 

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 The next day we headed to the summer house of Perrine's uncle and aunt Lucien and Françoise, who hosted the birthday bash. There Milo reunited with his great grandparents, great great aunts Anne-Marie and Monique (Maïé's sisters), and great Aunts Chantal and Colette, and met for the first time his great great uncle Henri – the official English-French translator at our wedding – and great great aunt Maryse (Robert's brother and sister-in-law), as well as Maïé's cousins Yvonne and Jeanette.

Lucie with Milo meeting great great uncle Henri with brother great grandpa Robert

Milo with great great aunts Anne-Marie and Monique

Milo was also reunited with his second cousin Julia, the daughter of Perrine's cousin Antoine and Veronique. Julia is Maïé and Robert's first great grandchild, and is exactly one year older than Milo – they share the same birthday!



 

Maïé with her great grandchildren Miloïg and Julia (and grandson Antoine, Julia's proud dad)

One of the surprises the family prepared for Marie-Thérèse was to collect and hang for all to view dozens of photos from all the years of her life.



We even saw pictures from when Perrine and I first started dating – look at what young hippies we were!



The old pictures brought up many stories, like those surrounding the meeting of Robert and Marie-Thérèse in the local youth music and theatre performance troop. Robert (naturally) had a comic act duo with his (much shorter) friend Louis, while Marie-Thérèse danced and sang. Apparently it was her fine dancer's ankles that first caught Robert's eye.

The evening was full of wonderful food and surprises.

One of Maïé's presents came from all her grandchildren, a poster of everyone in their different towns, all linked by a common thread to Maïé.

There were tear-jerking readings from loved ones.

And games too – in one game, Maïé and Robert responded to funny questions about their couple that showed just how well they know each other after all these years



And there were many songs, including one for which Lucie wrote the text telling the story of Maïé's life, with musical accompaniment by Lucien and father Robert.

We were happy to finally sit down to dinner together, the cousins all sitting together at the "kids table" like in the old days.

Cousin Jean-Baptiste looking over the seafood dinner.

Lucie, Lisa, Jean-Baptiste, Perrine

Jeffrey, Antoine, Lucie, Lisa

Véronique, Jeffrey, Antoine, Lucie, Lisa

By the time the birthday cake came it was late indeed – the French sure do know how to celebrate, at any age!

Thank you Maïé for the wonderful birthday weekend!