Good to get the family together...

This past Christmas was a special time in that we actually got a great deal of the family together over a couple of days.  This hasn't happened very often.  People get busy, we get separated by distances of more than just miles, and "things" get in the way.  That's why this was a pretty special time.

Quinn is growing up so fast, and those of us at the other end of the spectrum aren't getting any younger.  There is something special about getting to see your aunts and uncles and great-aunts and great-uncles, and recognizing them, if only by name.  At least he can now start to put names to faces and start to put together the pieces of "his family."

This was a two-day process.  On one of the days, we had all of my family together.  See the picture below.

On the second day, we went to Pam's brother's house and Quinn got to play with his cousins, all of whom are around his age.  He had a ball! They played in the basement for a while and he came up, about an hour later, raising his arms over his head and pronounced: "I'm wound up!!"  Not all of Pam's side of the family could be with us, but it was really great that he got to actually play with his cousins.

I have stated any number of times in this blog that I want Quinn to know his Grandma and Grandpa, but that goes for all of his family.  I can think of nothing worse than for him to sit down some day and muse, "Grandpa (or Cousin So-and-So) was a pretty good guy.  Too bad I don't know more about him."

A family in harmony will prosper in everything.  A family with an old person has a living treasure of gold. Chinese Proverb.

Hooah