Family

Have you ever been just blown away by your family... just loved them so much??? We spent a week with my parents and brother and sister-in-law at our family beach spot-NMB. "It was so good being with them" as my dad always says at the close of a family gathering of any kind (or pretty much whenever there is a close to anything be it a meal or an evening or a trip). It just doesn't get old when my dad says how much he loves his family. This practice is so ingrained in me that I'm starting to do it myself. Thanks for teaching me well, Dad!

So, we spent a week with my parents and a few days with Jon and Gina (who just celebrated their 1 year wedding anniversary yesterday- Congratulations!) basking in the sun, taking lots of walks, riding waves, mini golfing, and eating. Oh, and did I mention that we watched HGTV? When I was little, my parents and brother and I used to watch This Old House, listen to Car Talk on the radio, and go on house tours. I guess we just loved being together- why else would children/adolescents do such things willingly (most of the time we were, I think- well regardless, the point is that now I am really appreciating how much my parents emphasized family and spending time together and this is something I want for my little stinkers one day, too). This trip was the first extended time for all 6 of us to be together since Jon and Gina got married (and the first time Jon, Gina, Ben, and I piled into the back seat of a KIA- that may never happen again- we shared a memory in that moment... or maybe it was more sweat we shared, but you get the point). As the week came to a close, I came to realize anew just how stinkin crazy and wonderful my family really is. Lord willing, there are many more family outings in the years to come. More laughter and love, more family. I loved being with my family. I feel privileged and undeservedly blessed by this gift from God that I am so thankful for... my family.