On July 24, 2010, our mother Mary (Hanrahan) Walsh celebrated her 90th birthday, so on July 23 we held a birthday party at the Heritage Centre in Little Bay, Marystown, NL to celebrate this momentous occasion. Our dear Mother was born in Little Bay on July 24, 1920 and was the youngest in a family of six. On October 8, 1940 she married our dad, Luke Walsh Sr., who passed away on February 23, 1985, and together they parented 13 children. There were eight boys and five girls and I am happy to say that we are all still alive and well. These 13 children have blessed her with 36 grandchildren and they, in turn, have blessed her with 28 great grandchildren...and still counting. So to say that her birthday was a big event would be an understatement. Although it was impossible for everyone to attend, the majority of her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren were in attendance to celebrate. We made our way from different parts of Canada and from all over Newfoundland to celebrate the life of a women we all respect and love so much. Mom's only living sibling, William Hanrahan, who is 93 years old, attended along with other friends she has known most of her life and friends she met through her children and their families. Everyone who attended thought it was a wonderful time, and although Mom left after she had a few dances, her children and grandchildren celebrated for many more hours. When I settled myself into Sudbury life again my son brought it to my attention that this kind of celebration will be rare in the years to come as the "big family" has virtually disappeared from our society. I realized then that the life my 12 siblings and I experienced together was a rare and unique experience, one I will thank God for everyday.   Submitted By: Mary Greene