Family

Grace # 12: My Sister-in-law, My Niece and Nephews, and...Oh Yeah, My Brother :)

This past weekend we went to visit my brother and his family to celebrate my niece's and nephews' birthdays. We all had a fabulous time together. The four adults (my hubby, my bro, my sister-in-law and I) even got to have some real "adult" time while the kids watched movies. So much fun! I was aware the entire weekend of how thankful I am that they are a part of my life, so I knew I needed to make them one of my graces.

I am truly blessed that my bro had the good sense to marry his wonderful wife, M. Not only did he get a fantastic wife, but I got a terrific sister-in-law out of the union! I just love M. She is fun, kind, caring, loving and incredibly generous. She has a HUGE heart, and all who know her get to benefit from it. She is a great mom, and she is a super aunt to all her nieces and nephews. Over the years, M and I have gone from somewhat distant relatives by marriage to good friends and "sisters of the heart." M has three of her own sisters, but she has generously opened to her heart to include me in that circle. I know I can truly depend on her to be there for my family and me. I always enjoy our families' visits with one another, and one of the best parts is that we always have A LOT OF FUN together! Finally, M puts up with my bro, and for that she deserves a medal of honor.

My nieces and nephews are one of the great joys in my life. I am very grateful that I get to see them as often as I do (of course, I wish it were more often, though!), and that I have be able to watch them grow and change. They are awesome kids! One of the best things is that my kids are very close to their cousins, and thoroughly enjoy every moment with them. The worst thing is when we have to say good-bye at the end of a visit. :(

Hmm, it seems that I am forgetting something. What could it be?... Oh! Sorry Little Bro! I didn't really forget about you. Yes, I am grateful for my brother. He is terrific. We have been through a lot together over the years, and I have always been able to count on him. He is a wonderful brother, dad, uncle and hubby. Four of the best things he did were to marry M and have 3 amazing kids with her. Thanks for that, Bro!

Now, this is not to say that we have not had our disagreements and "rough spots" along the way in these relationships. We definitely have, but the absolute best part about my relationships with all these wonderful people is that there is a deep and abiding respect and love that gets us through...anything.