Making memories...

We spent Thanksgiving in Poplar Bluff with my parents and siblings. My kids started counting down the days to our visit about 3 weeks ago. There’s not much in their lives more exciting than visiting with Nana and Poppy. And, it’s no wonder. The weekend was full of all the things they love. Chocolate pie, pancakes, strawberry milk, movies, coloring, cookie baking, bubbles, bacon, giant indoor tents, the Wii, Go Fish and so much more.

It was a really nice weekend for me too. With all 15 or so of us piling into Mom and Dad’s place, their whole upstairs looks like a Toys R Us store ate a Thanksgiving dinner and then exploded leaving all sorts family shrapnel all over the house. But, it’s somewhat comforting to me…all the mess. I did try to clean up a few times, but to no lasting avail. I’m not sure if that big sister tendency of mine is more helpful or annoying. I guess it doesn’t really matter, because amid all the mayhem, I started really reflecting on what it is that I love so much about family and our times together.

Watching our relationships with one another is so interesting to me. The older cousins playing with the babies. Nana baking cookies with the grandkids. Siblings helping each other with their children. Grandparents, in that inevitable roll reversal that comes with age, caring for their own parents. Brothers relating to brothers-in-law. Even though sometimes we experience the “iron sharpening iron,” I know that we all love each other and the memories that we build during times like this will last for lifetimes.

Holidays in my childhood were similar, but I was on the “kid” end of the family. We would often go to Aunt Karen’s in St. Louis and looking back, those were the highlights of my childhood. Grandma cooking in the kitchen. Presents galore. Late night card games, bunking with my sister in the basement. I watched as the older family members experienced the “iron sharpening iron.” And, those times together gave me memories to last a lifetime.

When we said “goodbye” today, there were tears abounding. Mom cried. I cried. Carson and Avery cried. I think if I would have looked a little harder I might have seen my Dad with a tear welling up. I told the kids as we were pulling away that we should be so grateful for the memories that we’re making. I told them that the feeling that they had in their hearts in that moment was Love. Love for our family and appreciation for the memories that will hopefully last a lifetime. About 45 minutes later, Carson said, “Mom, I can stop crying now because I know how much Nana and Poppy love me.” Yes, they do.

And, we’ve started counting the days until our next time together. It’s 30….in case you were wondering.