Count Your Blessings

Wow, what a weekend. I'm kind of tired. It's the good kind though. The kind where you are satisfied with the way your time has been spent. I have accomplished some things today, had fun, prioritized, and let a good many menial tasks go undone. (Laundry and dishes will be done right after this post. Other menial tasks will be postponed to another day.)

My oldest sister Sue Ann's child, Jason, will be 32 this October. His little brother, David, will be 29, I think...I should know this! I know I was 6 when Jason was born but I don't remember how old I was when David was born. (BAD AUNT!!!!) All these years later, there are the second round of grandkids. Linda's (my youngest older sister) child, Rayburn, will turn 15 tomorrow. He started something. He was so stinking cute(and of course fond were the memories of Jason and Dave) that before the year was finished I was pregnant with Erika. Before Erika could even get here, my sister Pam (one year younger than Sue Ann) (who swore she would have no children) was pregnant as well. So Rayburn is 15, in August Erika(mine)will be 14, Reed (Linda's)will be 12 in June, in July Kayla(mine) will be 13 and Quenton(Pam's) will be 14 in December...plus Lilly(mine) and Bethany(Pam's) will both be 9 this summer(June and September respectively). When did our children get so old? Jason has his own child(Noah, one and adorable) for goodness sakes!! I am a great aunt. AND, I don't mean that in the excellent way, which is certainly true, but in the my sister is a grandma way.

All this is on my mind today because Rayburn had a family birthday party today. It was nice, he is turning into a fine young man as are all my other nephews. We have seen our kids go from wild and crazy times...when they were toddlers that was a large group of toddlers to be certain...to actually being friends. They are not the best of friends because they pick on each other, but they have always been close and each year as maturity replaces immaturity, I see the good strong friendships that only cousins can have developing.

Since my dad is the youngest in his family and was a later in life surprise, we did not have 1st cousins our own age. Rather, our 2nd cousins were our age and most of them lived pretty far away. I hope my children realize just how blessed they are, especially in this day and age of people choosing few or no children. Family can absolutely drive you bonkers, but it also makes you rich in a way money never will. The events you share-holidays, reunions, milestones-are some of the most bonding moments.

I feel very blessed today.