Pride and joy

As an aunt who does not get to be around as much as she would like, I thought I would at least share some of my pride and joy. Between Africa and these two... perspective is pretty easy to come by these days.

These are my nephews Aidan (the one kissing his little brother) and his little brother Keagan. They (Aidan and my brother Kyle and sisnlaw Lori) met and welcomed Keagan to the family yesterday in China. Aidan was adpoted just under two years ago from Kazakhstan and they adopted Keagan yesterday from China.

The four of them will arrive home on Thanksgiving day (hanging out at the US Embassy, waiting on visas, citizenships to come thru, etc), I am sorry I will not be there to meet them, but hopefully soon enough. I did not think I would be able to make it home in the spring but when I see this pic, I am not sure how I can manage to NOT come home... no matter what the costs and how long it takes to get there from here. In the spring there will be one more added to the group as my brother Mike and sisnlaw Monica will have their baby girl Anna Marie by then.

Kids, even when they are not yours, have an amazing effect on one. From my nephews and soon-to-come niece, to my four godkids (one who just had her 4th birthday on Sunday and it honestly seems like just the other day I was celebrating her 1st birthday with she and her parents in Tanzania), to the high school girls I like to claim as my "little sisters" whom I coached last year in track... I am usually pretty easily taken and left in awe by them.

But I'll stop here because nothing I say will be able to say as much as this pic.