A Year of Gratitude #107

 

A Year of Gratitude #107: Cousins

 

Eamon, Gus, Aine, and Benton

I was most excited for Dave and Heather and the kids to get here so that Gus could spend some time with his cousins. It was so fun to watch them play together and they all seemed to really have fun. Gus really bonded with Aine, which is no surprise because she's very good with little kids. He liked making faces at her and she'd make them back at him, which delighted him completely.

 

Trying to take a picture of them both making the face at each other

 

Hee hee hee

I could go on and on about how thankful I am to have had the last three FULL days with my oldest brother Dave and his family. I guess you truly don't know what you're missing until you spend ample time with family that you haven't seen in years... and then the reality of how long it's been, and how much you REALLY miss them settles in.

I love my brother Dave so deeply. He's my "big brother" (even though technically Scott is older than me... we're twins, so Dave's the big brother). I've always had a special place in my heart for him and have always loved being around him. I do look up to him, and think he's an incredible person. Someone that I'd be honored to know outside of the realm of being siblings.

 

Dave on the trampoline

Dave's wife Heather is a wonderful ying to his yang, and his other half. They're in-tune and have the same beliefs and values, which is important when picking a partner. She's as funny as he is, and brings out the very best in him. I love her so much and I'm lucky to have her as a SIL.

Their kids are very special to me because for the longest time, they were my old nephew and niece. Eamon and Aine are awesome. They have funny senses of humor, are super smart, and are fun to be around. I was most excited to see how Gus would enjoy being around his cousins (and that's another post I'll blog about shortly).

 

Aine and Gus

 

 

The kids loved the trampoline

 

Fun with Eamon

 

Fun with Aine (and Eamon)

 

Eamon

 

Sketched Aine

 

Eamon & Aine loved the Stachematic app that I have on my phone!

 

 

The boys jumping and Eamon was blowing bubbles

 

 

The boys together

 Benton is the youngest of Dave and Heather's kiddos and he's just as sweet as can be. I enjoyed spending time with him this visit because it let me get to know him a little better... since the last time he was just a wee one and I didn't really get to spend time just watching him and getting more familiar with his personality.

 
Gus and Benton at the park, sharing some fish
 

We had a great couple of days. We went on walks together, listened to music together, laughed at videos together, played outside, and played inside. It was really enjoyable.

 

The kids playing in the basement 

 

Going on a walk

 

Fun at the park

 

The boys playing in the backyard

I am so very blessed and so thankful that Dave and the family were able to swing through on their way to D.C. It gave me precious time with them, and let me really reconnect with them. The only negative is that it makes me really sad that they're gone and I won't see them again for a few months.

Our plan is to head back to MI and reunite in August/September for a week with everyone in my family together. It'll be awesome to have all three of us kids and our families together again with my parents. I'm excited to see them again this fall and hope they have an amazing time in Washington D.C.!!!

A Year of Gratitude #101

A Year of Gratitude #101: Cates Family Visit

Dave and Gus (July 2010)

I am so excited that my brother Dave and his family is coming to visit us this Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday!! I haven't seen him since July of 2010 and it's been too long.

The last time I saw Dave was when he and his wife Heather and their three kids, Eamon, Aine, and Benton, came to NC to visit us while they were on this side of the country for their summer vacation. The above picture was taken in Michigan. It was the last day of our being held in MI for Gus's adoption, and what an incredible last day it was.

Not only was I so excited that we could FINALLY take Gus back to NC and bond, and start our life as a family under normal circumstances, but it was the first time I got to see Steve in more than three weeks (the longest that we've been apart), AND it was the day that I got to spend with Dave, Heather, and the kiddos. Scott (my twin) came over with Christy, Alex, and Lily (she wasn't even one yet) and for the first time in YEARS I was together with every single member of my immediate family. It was the greatest day.

We headed back to NC on July 11th (Gus was exactly two months old) and then the following week, Dave and the family came to NC to see us. His visit with us was short, he was only with us a day or two, but it was still great to see him and the family.

Here are some pictures of Gus with his Uncle Dave and cousins from Arizona:

It's so crazy to think that it's been almost two years since I last saw them. Mind blowing even. I'm so incredibly excited for Gus to play with his cousins and to take a bazillion pictures of them all together. To think that they last saw him and could hold him and feed him is crazy... good luck with that now!!  :-)

I absolutely MUST get a picture of Gus with his Aunt Heather too... not sure why I didn't get one from when we saw her last, but she's the only family member that I don't have a picture of her with Gus.

Not sure of the time when they'll be arriving on Sunday (I think Dave said it'd be evening), but I am just so excited to see them. They'll be here Sunday night and then all day Monday, all day Tuesday, and then they'll be heading to Washington D.C. on Wednesday. It'll be hard to say goodbye... but I'm hoping that while they're on this side of the country, I'll be able to see them at least once more before the head back to Arizona. Maybe they'll want to stop by and see us again on their return trip to AZ.

I'm thankful that we're on the way to D.C. and that they'll be able to come and spend a few days with us. I'm grateful that I'll be seeing my family and it'll help with the homesickness. I miss Dave and the family so very much... this is the greatest gift that I've received in quite some time!!