Family Trees

So lately I have been working on my family tree. This is a huge task, especially in Mexican families. I mean there are so many of us. For example both my Mom and Dad have 12 brothers and sisters. Some of whom they barely know. I have 40+ first cousins on my mother's side, and 30+ my father's side; I couldn't begin to guess at how many second and third cousins I have. Besides, who knows how those labels work. I can never figure out how to refer to my cousins kids in relation to my daughter, are they 3rd cousins, second cousins once removed. I don't know. I just know there are a lot of them.

The task becomes more and more complicated because so many of my parents siblings were born in the same year from multiple women, because my grandfather's were womanizers; yes both of them. Can you imagine trying to unravel that mess? The final difficulty of course is that so many of my ancestors weren't born here in the states so the standard tools do not apply. Every family has a record keeper though and I think I have found them in each side of my family. My maternal grandmother is very much alive and recently told me she has her family tree written down at home. And my dad's oldest brother seems to have at least the names of my grandparents parents and grandparents. So I begin my journey, I'll let you know how it goes. I may even tell a few family secrets. In a family this big you know there is plenty of scandal.