Family

as previously stated, family means a lot to me. mom worries all the time that my brothers and i will somehow lose touch, so she reminds us constantly how important family is. today it really hit home.

my nieces and nephew are moving to oregon in a few days. their crazy mom (my older brother's ex wife who i can't stand and really is nuts) is moving them to be closer to her ailing grandmother and great-grandmother. to make it worse, my older brother is taking a job transfer to boise, idaho in order to be within an hour's drive of them. i found out about this after returning to the states, but didn't find out the official move date til earlier this wk (to my classmates and friends here: this is part of the reason why i've been an emotional train wreck lately). and since they're moving within a few days, my parents arranged to have them come over w/o their mom (thank you mom and dad!) so my younger brother and i could go to rochester and see them one last time before they leave.

becca, breanna, and benjamin have grown up so much! becca (6 yrs old) has always been a beanstalk and now comes up to my boobs (last time i saw her she was just above my waist). she was coming down w/something and wasn't feeling the best, but still managed to smile for the camera.

breanna (just over 3.5 yrs old) has always been the short stumpy one and WAY TOO SMART for her own good. unlike the other two, she actually understood what it meant for me to be gone for a few months in geneva and bawled for the longest time on the phone just before i left.

benjamin (10 mos) is a little giant. i'm not sure what they feed him, but he's huge for his age! he luvs to laugh, share his drool-covered hands, and has managed to make crawling a sport. i kept finding him at my feet in the kitchen...

i know i'll see them at holidays and whenever they come to visit, but it doesn't help. i'm going to miss them very much. and even tho i'm back in the US and haven't forgotten what they look like, i still carry the same family photos w/me everywhere like i did in geneva.

(L to R from the top: dad, benjamin, breanna and mom in my parents' backyard; becca cuddled up on the couch; breanna w/my younger brother erick; me and benjamin)