Such a Special Visit!

Last week when I got a call from my Aunt Janette telling me she was not too far away in California for the week, I was super excited. Aunt Janette is Uncle Dave's wife. Uncle Dave is my dad's only brother. Since both my parents died when I was relatively young, I have not maintained much of a connection with the few members of their families that remain (except for my cousin Anna, of course!) I've met Aunt Janette maybe 3 times and have always done the Christmas card swap with her. I loved finding her daughter Jill, my only cousin on this side, on Facebook and have been reconnecting with her lately.

Today we met for lunch and caught up while getting to know each other better. Aunt Janette, who was always generous to Heather and I as kids, came laden with gifts for the girls. A reader of our blog, she knew all about their loves for reading, crafts and princesses and picked out perfect presents. Her gift to me was one I'll share in a later post, but will tell you that it made me cry on the spot and will remain a priceless treasure.

I've always felt my need for family fulfilled in my sister, Anna and Dave's family. However, to strengthen other family relationships today was a gift in itself.