breathe

we have the BIG KID Cousins…

..summer is synonymous with cousins …

and we have the little kids cousins…

…and tonight, speaking with MY cousins, Amy and Amanda, I had a very sobering thought…

…. as we listened to our combined 8 children play happily as if they see each other everyday… and we pondered where we would like to take with our families, for vacations…Amy has 3 kids, like me, and her oldest is 4 years younger than my youngest…
…and It all of a sudden… occurred to me that I have 3 more summers with MY oldest, before he sprouts wings and flies away!!! 3 JUST 3!!!

Yes, I know it is not the black abyss that he is going into, and yes, I know that I will still be me, and that my life will proceed, and that we will still travel places… and well, I want to make the very best of our time and our summers.

So here is my pledge.

Next summer, we WILL go to Europe.

and this Christmas, we will skip gifts and go someplace incredible and beauty where NONE of us has been, like an island somewhere, just us…and well, that is as far as I have gotten. and so for now,