Family

Earlier this summer I had a phone call from my youngest son.  He reminded me that my brother, sister and I all had landmark birthdays this year.  We would be 50, 60 and 65 years old, respectively.  And he thought that this should be celebrated.  It had been a very long time since we had all been together.  Life and distance between homes seem to get in the way.  Jobs, children's activities and other obligations make it difficult for all of us to be in the same place at the same time.  My children were determined to overcome these obstacles so they set a date and made plans.

We all met a little over a week ago at David and Staci's home.  I was amazed to see how our family has grown from we three siblings to the crowd that was there!

The grandkids made good use of the pool and managed to splash the grandparents as often as possible.  They swam and ran and played and enjoyed getting to know one another.  They are such fun to be with and watch.

We sat and talked and remembered and compared notes and got caught up on what we had all been doing.  Everyone contributed to the evening meal and if anyone went away hungry, it was their own fault as there was food enough for an army.

The day wouldn't have been complete without our children insisting that we have a picture taken, so we gave in and let them.  I'm glad that they did.  It is nice to look at it and remember such a fun day.

As I think back, it is hard for me to believe that so many years have passed since we were children.  And yet, here we are, with a whole boat load of grandchildren between us.  As a family, we have been blessed.  Thank you, my children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and my brother and sister, for making this a truly memorable day.