Bundles of Joy!

I'm joining Sarah this December with 100 Joys!

Presenting Joys #6-11

#6 This is Parker! He is the son of my cousin Brian. Isn’t he delicious! Oh, he had me hooked on his yummy goodness with just one look at those chubby cheeks.

One of my f.b. friends recently profile updated about cousins. The update stated that “cousins are your first friends.”  This statement is true for me as Brian was my first friend.  Brian has a tender heart (like our grandfather. btw- the bear in the pic top right was made by me for Parker from one of my grandfather's shirts), and I have always had great love for him.  Some of my favorite childhood memories include Brian; together we were ring-bearer and flower girl, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia (when he’d share his Star War's figurines), and until the other cousins came on the scene everyone’s favorite little boy and girl.  Brian and I are the oldest/coolest of 12 cousins and counting. #7 It is no surprise that seeing my oldest friend, and dear cousin holding his own child filled me with great joy!

Brian and I come from a large family.  A family festivity for us resembles the movie “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” only we are Portuguese (resulting in a louder and stubborner group of crazy/wonderful people who consume even more windex to cure psoriasis).

Last month we all joined together to celebrate my cousin Danny’s wedding.  

#8 Joy is present at a wedding, in celebrating the union between a man and a woman with God.   

# 9 watching my sweet aunt dance with her boy during the mother/son dance stirs up Joy in my heart, as I recall that woman with her baby boy now a man... as I recall my own baby boy, and think of how quickly the days/years pass.

#10 Joy expanded as I danced alongside my 5 aunts-Violet, Marie, Victoria, Vera, and Hilda.  I love my aunts. I admire their sisterhood, and see a bit of me in each of them.  Dancing beside all of them was a gift.  Seriously, how cool is it that all of my aunts (all over the age of 50) still "ceeeelebrate good times!" 

My Aunt Vicki was the first one on the dance floor.  She was in a car accident in Sept. 09, that threatened to leave her unable to walk again.  She has made great strides in healing over this past year and arrived at the wedding walking with a cane!  #11 Seeing her dance brought an explosion of Joy to the entire family!