Four Generations

For the first time since Christmas 2007, my side of our family got together for Christmas. It's pretty incredible to see how our family has grown - to 26 people - and to know how delighted our mother would have been (she passed away in December, 2002) to have joined in. We are blessed to have our Dad with us.

Of us three kids, I'm the oldest, on the left.

These are all our children, from the oldest (left) to the youngest (right). Our daughter Jill and son Brent are on the far left. Since the only girls are the oldest and the youngest, they're referred to as "the bookends."

Here are those children with their own children.

And our Dad with his five great-grandchildren.

For the first time, Dan and I find ourselves in a new family arrangement with four grandchildren! The three boys are 15 months, 7 months, and 7 weeks. I've become quite the efficient diaper-changing expert!

Though I love each of my grandchildren, this is the fella I see least often. Austin, nearly eight months old, lives in Florida, so time spent with him is especially precious.

It's been a week of making memories, and I couldn't be happier about it.

Since Jill's six weeks post-c-section visit to the doctor, she's been given the go-ahead to physically care for (lift) her two little ones. That means my husband and I won't be in Kansas quite as frequently as we've been since September. I'm glad to return to a normal routine in Iowa, but will definitely miss seeing the little ones who always grow too fast. I've learned through all of this traveling and childcare to appreciate whatever moment I'm in. Life goes by too quickly to wish for, or wish away, anything.