Family Blessings

I am so thankful the Lord blessed my kids with a wonderful family.  Not that Jay and I are great, but that they are supported by a network of grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins that love them unconditionally.  My favorite memories as a child involve my extended family.  I loved spending a week with both sets of grandparents in the summer, sleepovers with my cousins, and learning how to babysit by taking care of my little cousins. 

Charlotte and Nana

Grandma, Uncle Mark, Grandpa, Trey, Charlotte, myself and Jay

Charlotte and her cousin Jacob

 This past week we saw a lot of family.  At a bridal shower for my cousin I met a woman who was asking who all the different people at the shower were.  I tried to explain the different people and how we were all related and she was just in awe.  She kept saying, "That is so wonderful that you have so much family and you all live close together."  She wasn't in the car with 3 kids for six hours that evening so we could make it back home, but even with the long car ride I wouldn't exchange that time for anything.

Trey playing football one Thanksgiving with Uncle Mark.

Trey and his cousins Chandler and Halle

Trey and his cousin Nellie

My kids have grandparents on both sides that are still setting a wonderful example of a Christian marriage and raising a Christian family.  They spend weekdays with Grandpa and Grandma when I work.  The memories they are building everyday with their grandparents are priceless and ones I know they will treasure when they are adults with their own families.  Trey and Charlotte just got back from a week at Nana and Papa's house where they had so much fun and didn't want to come home.  They are constantly asking to have sleepovers at Grandma and Grandpa's house or Nana and Papa's house.  Both Jay and I's parents live in the house where we grow up so the kids are playing with our old toys and asking their grandparents questions about life when their mommy and daddy were little.  

Charlotte's baby dedication with both sets of grandparents

Besides just grandparents my kids have cousins.  One of the best childhood relationships to have is cousins.  I didn't have a sister, but I had plenty of girl cousins to grow up with.  We didn't fight like sisters might but we had all the positive aspects of a sister relationship.  I have a cousin that I see maybe every year or two, but yesterday as soon as Esther was awake she came and took my baby and just held her.  Even though I hadn't seen her in a long time, we are just as comfortable with each other as ever and want to love on each other's children.  My kids love their cousins in a special way and are building relationships that will last forever with their cousins. 

Chandler and Trey- 1 month old and 4 months old

Jacob, Trey and Chandler

Charlotte and her cousin Halle

Charlotte and her cousin Jayla

 The kids also love to ask about our brothers and what it was like growing up with them.  Jay has one brother and I have two.  The kids love their all their uncles and aunts and they think it is so neat to find out how everyone fits together in our family. 

Uncle Mark and Charlotte

Newborn Trey and Auntie Jill

Uncle Mark and Uncle Stephen changed Trey's diaper in the hospital.

When I was pregnant with Charlotte many people told me that best gift I could give to Trey was a sibling.  I have seen that truth in so many ways, but I also think one the best gifts Jay and I can give our kids is an extended family that loves them.  I appreciate the fact that even though we don't live in the same town as most of our family, we do see them very often and that we are all committed to making sure our kids have those family memories as they grow up. 

 

I realize I have very few pictures of Esther with her extended family. I have to remember to work on this the next time we get together!