Cousins

My mother-in-law and niece visited us last week. It was a very nice visit that did not involve the hospital!

Our niece Lindsay is almost 19 and just a fantastic young woman. It was great how she would bounce between hanging with our kids and holding adult conversation with us.

I met this girl when she was just 6 months old!

I only wish her older sister and my sister-in-law could have come too!

Mark got this great shot the last night they were here:

Do they all have the same chin?

Playing Games

Mark and I have been playing card games with our kids lately.

Grandparents taught Camryn and AJ some games while they had them in August. We've played many games of Go Fish since then.

While shopping for stocking stuffers last month I grabbed a pack of UNO for AJ's stocking because he seems to be the most enthusiastic about card games.

 The four of us played a rousing round of UNO last night. It was so fun!

We try to be so nice to each other, never wanting to use the draw four cards.

AJ got Camryn a travel Scrabble set which we've also played.

 There was a time when I thought we'd never be a game-playing family.

I've mentioned before how I'm not the mom who actually PLAYS with her kids. No Barbis or Legos for me. I'm of the mind that toys are for them to entertain themselves.

Mark will play video games with them all day long. I'm very hands-on in the cuddling department.

But now? They seem to be at such great ages. Camryn is just about 12 1/2 and AJ will be 7 this month. Gone are the boring Candy Land and Chutes and Ladders days. Now we can play better other games.

And I like it!

So for all you parents out there stuck in the little kid trenches, forcing yourself not to roll your eyes when your sweet cherub asks you to play baby dolls or trucks for the umpteenth time, I'm here to tell you things WILL change. And it will be awesome!

Dinner

Every time my family sits down to dinner these days I smile.

I look around and feel blessed.

The four of us.

The simple, everyday act of enjoying a meal together.

"They" say it's important family time, the coming together at the end of the day to reconnect. But it's not that I feel all that disconnected from my husband and kids during the day.

How can I when I'm a stay-at-home mom, my son is in only half-day kindergarten and my husband's health problems are preventing him from working right now? My daughter, in 6th grade, is the one who's away from the house the most. But after school and on weekends, she's mostly home too.

So in all actuality, I have plenty reason to be darn right SICK of these people!

But not when we sit down to dinner.

Right now, I am just so happy that ALL FOUR OF US are sitting there, at our new-to-us bigger table. Me, Camryn, AJ....and Mark.

I sit down, look at the faces of the the people I love and am filled with pride, and not just a little bit of awe.

Pride in my children and awe in Mark. Pride in the special little family we are.

Because Mark is sick and has almost died. Because he fights. Because he is probably the one who prepared the meal. And because it's most likely a damn good meal. Because our family is unique.

So sitting down to dinner as a family has a little extra meaning in our house. I see it, feel it, know it.

I DO NOT take it for granted.

I DO eat it up. Pun intended. :-)