Happy 8th Birthday, J.!

While we were in Michigan, we didn't just celebrate the new year with a shindig - we also pulled out our party hats to celebrate the birthday of our very, very dear 8-year old cousin J. It's a rare occasion that we get to see our family, so to gather twice for two celebrations was, well, exquisite!

I love the picture posted above. I look at it and wish we had more familial moments like these, gathered around the table, the kids happy and chatting, together as they should be.  Oh, while I'm at it, here's another one!

And what fun it was to "decode" J.'s birthday cake, which he decorated himself. Can you figure out what the cake says?

I'm not sure there is a bigger toddler-fan of J. than our little A. The girl loves him and older cousin L. And she tests their seemingly limitless quantities of child-patience, insisting that they play hide-and-go-seek with her over and over and over . . . graciously, they do. Thank you, J. and L. for playing so wonderfully with our girl and for making her so happy.

Now that we're back home, I will hear A. make quiet, personal reference to her beloved cousins every now and then. Just the other day, I heard A. whisper to herself, "Uh-oh spaghetti-o. That's what cousin J. says." And when we received a thank-you note in the mail from L., A. insisted the note was hers and asked us to read it and re-read it to her.

I love our home, I love where we live. But nothing - nothing - compares to spending time with our family. Thank you all for making our holidays that much more wonderful.