So Pleased to Meet You! (Stories from the Island)

I've thought over so many times how I can write a post about our trip home. Thing is, I can't. I can add bits and pieces in my blog about different events and people, but I cannot merge my 7 weeks there, all the different events, all the people and all the very special memories into one post. For me, it cannot be done. I can try to add photos, and that might take a while since I have over 2500. I will, however, introduce you to two new relatives of mine, and a third "addition" to our non-blood family.

Our first addition took place last Fall, when my brother

Darren married a special lady named Chrystal. We had the privilege of meeting her this summer. Mostly we spent a lot of time either hiking or chatting over food (what better way to get acquainted??), and enjoyed just getting to know her. I knew I loved Chrystal and that she fit right in when she refused to let a slightly mangled blackberry pie go to waste.

The second person I met was quite a treat for me. I'd waited a full 9 months, plus the 6 extra to get to Canada to meet him! He is Fisher Hayes, my brother Tyler's youngest. He's got a gummy smile that'll melt your ice cream (I know, I ate a lot when I was there) and a personality that will make an auntie wonder why they ever invented

the word 'no.' Not only did we all get to meet him, we also got to witness Fisher's first crawl. I think that made my summer right there. One of the best parts about meeting Fisher was watching he and his 2 older siblings, Lucy and Eli, interact. It's fun to watch a little 6 1/2 year old haul around her brother who is literally half her size, and I love to watch Fisher's face light up when his 5 year old brother pays even a smidge of attention to him. Next year, however, there'll be no hauling...Fisher will be up and running alongside his sister and brother, tackling their big cousin Matthew to the ground.

The third person I met, also a little one, was a little guy I wasn't supposed to meet until next summer, only because he wasn't due until after we left the Island. He is Benjamin Graham, and he was kind enough to pop into this world JUST a little early so that we could say hello. It was nice to visit his mom Esther, daddy Chris, and even grandma Lily, who flew all the way from India to say hello (and her 23 hours in the air takes the cake against our 18!!).

There truly were so many people to visit and so little time, yet we tried to pack in as much as we could. I realize that next year we'll have to change a few things, spend more time doing certain things and less at others. Hopefully each year we'll be a little wiser as to how to divvy up our time. Going home really is the best thing a girl could ask for when you live so far away.

Thanks for reading.