Family

Living two thousand miles from family is hard sometimes. This year alone, my mom, sister, and grandma all underwent surgeries in my absence. My other grandma was hospitalized for a few weeks after she was unable to recover from a cold on her own. Again, too far away to visit. For all those difficult moments I want to reach out and physically hold my family members close, there are visits like this where my heart becomes whole again. I'm surrounded by those I hold most dear and give way too many hugs to make up for lost time.

Traditional "Driving to the Island" picture. Apparently this is something Matt's family has done for decades.

Right after the July 4th holiday weekend, Matt and I traveled to Wisconsin. Together with my sister, mom, brother and his girlfriend, we spent three days together in solitude on a family-owned island in a lake near the Michigan border. Without any of the distractions of modern life, we reveled in the opportunity for good conversation, nature, and the company of those who know us the best.

Relaxing by the lake.

Mom, Chris (brother), Monica (future SIL), and Matt.

When the weather was nice, we were out on the boats. Kayaking, canoeing, and tubing filled our days. Jigsaw puzzles, games, and ping pong filled our nights.

Emily (sister).

Family lunch on a rainy day.

It was perfect. We're already thinking about making this vacation a yearly trip just as Matt has done with his family ever since he was a little boy. Maybe one year we'll be brave enough to bring both of our families together and see how they get along.

Time passed too quickly and suddenly we were on the road again, this time to join my dad and his extended family at a reunion. Being one of eleven kids, visits with my dad's family are both wonderful and overwhelming at the same time. I have well over forty first cousins on that side and even when half of them show up, it's a busy day. When we pulled up to the park and found a sea of people in red shirts, we knew we were in the right place.

My dad, his mom, and all his siblings.

Since my immediate family gets together so infrequently, it was nice to have an extra someone to take our photo to commemorate the occasion. The last time all five of us were together in one place was my wedding day over nine years ago. I hope it doesn't take another nine years before we get our next photo!

Family portrait.

Family plus significant others.

And those who are part of our family by choice. Bless you brave people! ;)

After the reunion weekend, it was time to start heading back to the airport. My mom's mom lives twenty minutes from a small airport in the middle of Wisconsin. I often fly in and out of there, not because it's cheaper, but because of Grandma. We drove straight from one Grandma (dad's mom) to the other (mom's mom).

Matt's right. It was exhausting. Not pictured: Two DQ stops. Hey, Wisconsin is big!

In June, she had open-heart surgery so of course we had to drop by and see her every day until I flew out.  Since she'd already been in a rehab facility for a month, she was more than ready to go home. We took her out for ice cream, took her outside to check out the garden, and had to remind her too many times to slow down and let us help her.

In between visits with Grandma, we returned to the family farm where my mom grew up. My uncle now manages the dairy farm solo but I could tell he was lonely without Grandma to come home to every night. We cleaned up the house for him, helped keep him fed, and made sure his kitties got some love, too.

Crazy Cat Lady visits the farm.

Grandma went home on Saturday. I’d like to think she’s following all the rules the doctors set for her, but I doubt it. She’s independent, sassy, and a little naughty. I’ve always loved that about my Grandma. :)

As the airplane took off and the vast patchwork quilt of farmland pulled away, tears welled up in my eyes. When I live so far away from them, it's a blessing and a curse to have a family as wonderful as mine.

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Just days after I returned home, we found out our family was growing to include one more! My brother proposed to his girlfriend, Monica in a pretty park in Houghton, where he went to college. They're so adorable together and I love Monica. I'm so excited to be gaining another sister!