the aging process

This week I had the wonderful opportunity of having my little sister and her family stay with us for most of the week. Watching my youngest niece is like pulling into the vaults of my memory and seeing glimpses of my grandmother's personality and character traits and body structure of my eldest niece, who is now in high school. We will miss her kisses, hugs, smile and questions. Another highlight from this week was getting to know my nephew's personality a little better. One of our fun activities was letting them design t-shirts for an iron-on transfer. He continuously amazed me with his sense of layout and design. Wouldn't it be cool if twenty years down the road the two of us could have our own graphic design company?
Other events from this week:

• countless games of "chase" with Uncle Bobby
• Carly's Toy Store
• table football
• Hidden Valley Wonders
• fishing
• the geese/dog/chicken conversations and chore time
• meals
• water balloons & more
• our brief shopping trip

I don't envy their drive on the long road home, though my heart yearns to connect all those dots with each year that passes. Yes, Sweet Home Alabama wouldn't be so sweet without the many faces that make it so dear.