Family ...

It's been missing.

 

And now it's not.

 

Before kids, honestly, I did not care that much about living away from family. But I realize that since having my children, I crave that connection. I miss it. I want it. I need it.

 

Isaac headed to Vermont on Wednesday. Sidge was not excited to see his brother leave. "I'm willy gonna miss my brudder," he told me through those big blue eyes that fill up with tears because he won't blink when he's crying. ("Sometimes my eyes get wet," he has often told me.)

 

Later that evening, Sidge went to bed by himself. But in the middle of the night, I found him weeping outside of the bathroom door. I asked him what was wrong. "My brudder," he said. "I can't find my brudder Isaac." I reminded him that Isaac went to Vermont. Sidge nodded and set his chin. "Oh. That's right. I forgot." Only the second night he has ever spent not sharing a room with his Isaac.

 

I'm not sure how our little Elijah would be handling his big brudder being gone if it wasn't for a fun weekend with his Uncle Matt and Aunt Danielle on the horizon. Honestly, I'm not sure that I've seen my middle man so excited about anything before. He woke up in the morning begging to leave! He couldn't wait.

 

Danielle has been so great to send me pictures periodically this weekend so I could see what he's been up to. Check 'em out:

 

Uncle Matt bought him a spider man fishing pole! How cool is that?

 

 

 

And look, he caught his first fish! How cool is that?

 

 

 

 

 

They made their own pizzas for dinner. Danielle said that Sidge (who is always Daddy's "shoe" chef) wanted to be the head chef on this particular evening.

 

 

Look at that fort! (And they rented Kung Fu Panda to boot!)

 

 

The next day, they went to Flamingo Gardens:

 

I actually haven't talked to Sidge yet to hear all about his fun times. Last I heard, he was heading to Grama's to spend the next night at her house.

I did, however, talk to Isaac. He was having the time of his life, and he was eagerly giving me every detail.

I am so blessed both of my boys are getting to be with people who love them as much as I do. What an incredible blessing of which I am eternally grateful. I realize that for most of their life, we've been away from family. I miss our families being able to spoil my kids. It feels really nice.