One of the joys of this past week was being able to spend time with the family at large. What a treat is was for us that Nelson made the drive from somewhere between Buffalo and Rochester to TIP. I'm trying to remember the last time we saw each other -- Heather and Stan's wedding? I'm not sure. Living on opposite sides of the country when we were really young didn't give us too many opportunities to see each other. But once we moved to NH, our visits down to CT and PA to see the Patterson family increased. I smile remembering the great forts we built in their basement, taking turns hand cranking peach and strawberry ice cream, eating Aunt Mary's home made bread and jam in the mornings...wonderful times together. And now we are grown up.
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| 2 generations of cousins |
Speaking of cousins...I am so happy that my boy has a cousin and that they can grow up together. I still have lingering sadness that I wasn't able to give Selim a sibling. So the times that we can spend with my sister and her family are truly precious.
Here are some of my favorite moments with the boys:
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| Early morning electronics |
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| Showing off gifts from Uncle Tyler |
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| Leaving the playground with Uncle Tyler |
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| Warming up on the dock |
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| Rocking the shades at breakfast at Pan Chancho |
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| Free art in the Plaza, Kingston, Ontario |
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| On the boat to Rock Island |
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I spy
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| Ready for the last adventure |
Making lasting good memories is simply loving each other and making the most of every opportunity. John said to me at the occasion of Jim & Marti's wedding: " We spend too much on funerals and not enough on good family times. Our family will be in St. Louis, Mary." I get teary thinking about how comforting that promise made me because we knew of no one else of the family coming. Mariana did come too, but wasn't sure till the last moment.Jim and Nelson are so good about planning times for their sons to have cousin times. I pray that you will also.
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