Easter 2012

Easter will always be bitter sweet to me since 2010.  The year my dad passed away and we spent 8 long days before his passing hanging out in the ICU.  Easter was spent that year trying to keep the girls happy without missing out on our last moments with my dad. 

This year we took a trip to the DC area to spend some time with Pete's cousins.  We stayed with one of his cousins and they have a 3y/o little (big!) girl...Sofia.  She is simply amazing.  What I enjoyed most was that the girls all got along.  It reminded me of times when I was little and visited with my 2 older cousins Kate & Jen.  To this day we share a bond that's more like sisters rather than cousins.  I want that for my girls but it's not something that can be forced.  Plus - the distance is far too great to spend as much time as we'd like to. 

The trips down/back were easy as it can be with 3 preschoolers.  The girls actually didn't watch any DVD's but they did have their iTouches and they played games.  They sang and they talked and watched things out of the window.  They didn't sleep much though!  It took us 9 hours to get down (we stopped A LOT).  The trip back was cut down to 7 hours.  A bit too short for Emily's standards though because she does indeed get car sick.  To her credit - she waited until we were driving down our street to say "Mommy - I'm going to throw up..."  She didn't though.  Once we got out of the car and played outside in the cool air for a while she was fine.  Next time - we'll make it a point to make longer stops.  Being car sick isn't a fun feeling :( 

We saw a lot of family while down there and the girls did surprisingly well considering their lack of social skills.  (To those that don't know them well they'd think I was crazy to say they don't have social skills but I know their potential and I see all of their personalities). 

Family is something I want for my girls.  At the end of a day - family is what you have.  You might think you have some solid friends but in the end - family is concrete.  Family is what you have when you walk away and come back years later and are able to pick up right where you left off.  Family is that who doesn't judge you for who you should be or what you should have but rather for who are and the person you've become.  It's not about money or status - it's simply about friendship and love. 

I love my family.  I miss my dad.