It had been planned for over a year and on Saturday we all gathered at the Swiss Chalet in Scarborough for dinner. The restaurant had a separate room at the back which Mom had reserved for the dinner. The special occaison was to meet some relatives from the Tao side of the family who were on vacation. The Tao’s are from the Nekoda side of the family, Bachan was a Nekoda. Janet who is married to Harry Tao (deceased) and her daugther’s Rhonda and Teri and their families were the guests. Harry was Mom’s cousin, his mother was Bachan’s sister. Confused? That makes Harry and Janet’s daugther’s (Rhonda & Teri) my second cousins and it would make Teri and Rhonda’s kids (Caitlyn, Tessa, & Christopher) Gillian, Angela and Claudia’s third cousins.

From Left to right: Teri, Caitlyn, Mike, Christopher, Janet, Tessa, Howard and Rhonda. Janet is from Hawaii, Teri and her family live in Nevada and Rhonda and her family live in California.

Ther were 49 people at the restaurant, it was a chance to see some of our first cousins and we also got to meet some new ones as well. In order to help the visitors with the introductions we had everyone stand with their immediate families, not that they were going to remember 41 faces.

From the Imai family there was Leanne, Wes (her boyfriend), Cindy (from Brussels), Auntie Terrie, Joyce, and Jeff and Belinda.

From the Shinkoda family was Stephanie, her husband Ian and their son Kazu, next to them are Belinda and Jeff and Joyce on the left.

From the Tanabe’s there was Mom and Dad.

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Melissa, Dale, Lori, Dale and Sara.

Emi, Danny, Alex and Carolyn

Representing the Uyeda’s were Mark, Gaila, Jesse and Lisa.

There was Uncle Tosh, Auntie Margie, Julie, Raiden and Carey.

Ryan, Justin, Paul and Diane.

Howard, Rhonda, Dale, Mark, Lori and Gaila at this end of the table.

Carey, Paul, Julie and Diane at the other end of their table.

Dad, Uncle Tosh, Mom, Auntie Margie, Janet and Jesse at this end of the table.

Ryan, Raiden, Justin and Lisa at the other end.

Tessa, Christopher, Caitlyn, George Mike, Joey, Teri, Colleen at this table.

Danny, Alex, Emi, Carolyn, Claudia, Angela, Sara, Gillian and Melissa.

At the best table were Joyce, Susan, Auntie Terrie, Jeff, Leanne, Belinda, Wes and Cindy.

Here is my new first cousin, once removed, that is Kazu with his mom Stephanie and Caitlyn and Christopher.

After dinner we all went back to Carolyn and Danny’s place for dessert. There was lemon merengue pie, peach pie, brownies, bana bread, cream puffs, jello, rice krispie squares and cake and more.