Family Time

We just finished our last road trip of the year and it was a good one.  This year we did road trips to Mesa, Santa Fe, Georgia, North Carolina, South Dakota and Oklahoma.  All in all I think we put about 7,500 miles on the car.  

It had been a year and a half since I'd last seen my brothers, sister-in-law and nephew so we combined a visit to see them with the National Arabian Horse Show (more on the show in a later post).


Attending the horse show was great, but spending time with family is what it's all about.  Our family has always been spread out all over the country and at times, the world so when I have an opportunity to see them it fills my heart with love and joy.


My nephew, Logan, is always so polite and happy even when his old aunt and uncle interrupt his game time.  He's going to school for his paralegal certificate and it's going well.


My sister-in-law, Heather, is always the fun one.  She's so outgoing and friendly and attracts people to her.  Those of us who are introverts love hanging out with these type of people.  And did I mention she's the best cook ever?  My hubby, Irv, is very similar to Heather.  Neither of them has ever met a stranger and can start conversations with anyone, anywhere.


When my oldest brother, Bob, got really sick three years ago the three of us siblings really learned what family is.  We didn't hesitate to go to Memphis for weeks and weeks while he was in the hospital and rehab.  It was a distressing time and I hate to think what would have happened if we weren't able to be there for him or if the Covid pandemic was going on while he was sick.  When he was stable enough we had him moved to Tulsa where he faced another set of medical challenges.  He now lives in an assisted living facility close to my other brother's house and is doing much better although his life was forever changed by his illness.  He has handled these changes better than I ever could have.

Today I learned that November is National Caregiver's Month.  I can't begin to express my gratitude to my brother, Alan, for constantly being there for Bob.  I feel guilty about not living closer so I could help out.  The sibling connection is stronger now than ever.  I'm so fortunate to have my brothers.


We had to get a family shot that included the non-bloods (old family joke).  Love your family while you can folks because they won't always be there.


Comments

Yogi♪♪♪ said…
It was a great visit. I think Bob really liked us all being there at his residence. And the horse show was wonderful.

You are right, family is about the most important thing there is.
November 4, 2022 at 10:04 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Skywatch Friday: A little close for comfort

Image
We had a fire out here on the eastern plains of Colorado last week.  I kept getting reports on the fire's location on my cell phone while I was at work.  Then a warning popped up that let me know it was time to hit the road and go home to prepare to evacuate the critters. When we initially got home it was still a decent distance away. Within 30 minutes it had come up over the ridge and flames were visible. The winds were gusting 45 to 50 mph.  It was a fast moving fire that burned 5,000 acres in only four hours.  Then the most amazing thing happened--the winds died down and the firefighters got in under control by 8:15 that night.  Thank you, Lord! Have you ever had to stand in your house and wonder what you should take out with you?  There were only two things I could think of...1) my critters and 2) my passport so I could still go to Europe next month.  Irv and I agreed that we need to get things organized so we can just grab a box...
Read more

Skywatch Friday: Upper and Lower Falls

Image
Yesterday I got to visit the recently completed Uncle Tom's Overlook along the Yellowstone River in Yellowstone National Park. This is the first really good look I've ever had at the Upper Falls of the Yellowstone River. These falls are almost as good as the Lower Falls. After leaving the Upper Falls you go downstream for a mile or so to.... ...Artist's Point which has the very best view of the Lower Falls (in my opinion).  In this location the view is perfect, so perfect that it look like a painting. This is just one of the features of this Park that make it my heart and soul.   Linking with Skywatch Friday
Read more

Skywatch Friday: Wild Horses!

Image
 The Salt River wild horses have been eluding us since we arrived in Arizona several weeks ago so today we went in search of them again. This time we started at the Coon Bluff Recreation Area.  First we went one way down the river, but soon had to turn back because we didn't bring any rock climbing gear. Then we turned around and went the other direction. The water in the river was crystal clear, but no sign of fish or horses. There are times when I really miss my dad especially when I want to know what kind of tree I'm looking at.  This one has something that resembles Spanish moss hanging down.  What is it? This riparian area that surrounds the river has all kinds of wildlife.  Today we saw theses white egrets. This gray heron was also hanging out in the distance. We met a guy carrying all kinds of photographic equipment and he said we needed to go about a quarter of a mile further down the river to find a spot where the horses cross every afternoon around 5:0...
Read more