The Relatives Came

My brother, aunt carol and uncle mike just left a few minutes ago. I love having my family here and i am so thankful that some live close enough that they can come over for a visit, although at times they seem far away. I just think Jaely is so incredible that for TJ and i to be the only ones to experience her would be such a shame. There is just something about families that i love. It is a group of people that you have so much love for, that you would do anything for, yet if they were not family, if you just knew them from work or the gym, you might not take the time to get to know. I love that families can gather around the table and share all their different perspecitves, experiences, and passions and as different as they might be from each other we are all held together because we are related. Because we are related, there is such a strong love. I like to think about God knitting together each of my relatives and knowing that we are going to go thru life together, that our paths will be entwined with one another. I think God knitted us together with our other relatives in mind. . . ah, lindsey will appreciate (and learn from) jered's laid backness and sensitivity towards others, and aunt carol and uncle mike will make a wonderful picture for her of what a marriage should be like, etc, etc, for each relative/ sibling. And then i get so overwhelmed with emotion when i think of what life would be like if mine and TJ's path never crossed. I like to think that God made it possible for me to be born in the U.S., in michigan, and live on the east side, and go to Walled lake schools, and have my aunt bring me to a church in lakeland highschool, and later have TJ wrap duct tape inside out around my head while we were in youth group. And at the same time have TJ get to the same places at the same time. Blows my mind, really. And then by meeting and marrying TJ i added more to my family, people that i didn't know before, that i might not have gotten to know that now i would do anything for. God made us with families in mind. We need them. I am so thankful for TJ and for my family. There have been times when i have been hurt by them, and there are times when i might not have acted like i appreciated their differences, but i am so thankful for each and everyone of them. Well, i guess there is just one that i question why God put him in my life, but that is for another blog perhaps.

Oh, did i mention i made chili for the first time. It must have been good. . . Jered had thirds, and uncle mike had seconds. I liked it.

I love that Jaelynne is so comfortable in other peoples' laps and arms. She is just so adorable. She was our entertainment. What more do you need?