White lace and promises....a kiss for luck and we're on our way

I was just in New York for my niece's wedding.  My son got married in October and it's such a blessing for us to have such incredible celebrations so close together.  We just keep adding members and it's true that there's strength in numbers.  It was an incredible day.... perfect from beginning to end. It was the first time my daughter in law met my extended family (cousins... second cousins... my sister in laws amazing family and their friends that are family).  For me it feels like being home.  Even though we only see each other every few years it feels like we've never been separated.

Watching my kids with their cousins now that they're all grown is truly magical.  They're friends now in addition to family.  They love being together and it makes me sad that it doesn't happen more often.   To be honest even if we all lived in the same place our lives wouldn't allow it all the time anyway, and maybe the rarity adds to the magic of it.  

Hearing my niece say her vows I was overwhelmed with a flood of memories long forgotten.  She was a breathtakingly beautiful bride.... her beauty however begins inside.  She's always had a heart of gold and to see her at this point at her life....a beautiful home... an equally amazing man by her side.... nothing but happiness ahead of them.... it brought me to tears.  She is so deserving of every moment of it.   I have a tendency to forget bad times....I focus on the good.... but her path wasn't an easy one.    And she's a true testament to what my family is about. We're strong.... we have faith beyond measure and we count our blessings even when things are less then happy.

My brother and sister in law have raised amazing humans.  It seems so long ago that we spent nearly every weekend together when their oldest two were small.  My oldest was a few weeks old when he experienced his first little league game for his cousins.  We moved away when my daughter was a mere year old.... you would never know it. Her cousins are among the few people she lets into her bubble.  I really can't stop the tears from flowing right now, reliving the memories of this weekend.  When I see my middle and my youngest interact I'm reminded so often of my relationship with my brother (also the middle and youngest).  We were always connected in a way that most don't get. A mere glance in the other's direction or a simple phrase can make us burst into side splitting laughter. Watching him "give his daughter away" was so emotional for me.  He's a great dad.  My beautiful sister in law (looking more like the sister of the bride than the mother) has been a shoulder for me during this time of "letting go" helping me navigate the waters she's tested before me.  These are the moments we wait for.... the moments we cherish.... watching them become the adults we hoped they'd be and yet always return to the nucleus of our family..... How blessed we are.  Family after all is where life begins and love never ends and I'm so blessed with the one I've got.