Fiddle and Family

I received an unexpected email a few weeks ago from my cousin, Larry McPhail. In it he told me that he had our great-grandfather's fiddle (I was aware of that) and he would like to pass it on to me now. I was floored and started crying as I read the email aloud to Tim. Yesterday we drove up to Lynden and met up with Larry and Marsha this morning to receive this gift. Tim and the kids all played on it while we were there. My great-grandfather purchased it probably in Tennessee in the late 1800's. It came to Lynden on a covered wagon when the family came out west. At that time, my grandpa was about 6 years old. The fiddle was passed on to my grandpa when his father died. Eventually Larry ended up with it and now we have it. What a treasure this is. Here is Larry and I:

Jonathan Tate Carter playing on the fiddle that once belonged to his great-great grandpa John McPhail and then his great-grandpa, John Tate McPhail

and Hannah Mae too...(Hannah's middle name comes from my Grandma Beulah Mae McPhail, wife of John Tate)