A Growing Family

Some nights, it is hard getting Eliot to bed.  He might cry or say he wants to sleep in my bed or claim that he "can't" go night night.  More often, though, these arguments settle, and Eliot tells me the sweetest things.  He lists all of the people who love me (including each member of both sides of our families) and then lists all of the people who love him.  Tonight, he told me that he would always love me, and my heart melted right there.

These nights of tucking Eliot in are indeed laborious, but they are so, so sweet too.  Each night, I come away exhausted, but thankful for him and thankful for our families.  I am so thankful that Eliot and Jack have so many people who love them dearly--and I am thankful that Eliot is confident that he is loved.

Each year, our families grow and change.  Chris's parents and sister came in town this weekend, which was great, but it wasn't a planned trip.  They came in for a funeral.  Chris's great aunt Martha died.  This funeral comes on the heels of another loss.  About a week and a half ago, Chris's great aunt Vivian passed away.  Both of these great aunts were closer than your typical extended family; they were more like grandmothers to Chris and his sister.

Death always makes us reflective.  It makes us value life more, I think.  I know it does for me, at least.  I don't want to have any regrets with my family.  I don't want to wish that I took more pictures or said "I love you" more or spent less time worrying about the inconsequential details of life.

For a few summers, we used to go to the same beach house with Chris's family.  We took a family portrait about every other year.  We have taken a total of five family portraits together.  It always meant a lot to me that they allowed me in their family pictures, even before Chris and I were engaged.  It seemed like it had been a while since we took a family portrait, and I really wanted some more photos of them all with Jack, so I set one up.  I think we all look pretty good!

2013

Looking back, I remembered that we also took a portrait together last summer too.  It wasn't entirely planned.  None of us dressed up.  However, I still value it.  It has "only" been a year, but so much has changed.  Eliot has grown an incredible amount.  Our Jack-Jack is here with us now, too.  Sometimes we lose family members, but our family grows too.  I wonder where we'll be in another year.

2012

2007